USA Clubs Ranked - 2013-23 (Women)

I had the impression that the USA was the epicentre of women's soccer. Europe has some strong leagues as well of course. Still, that was the perception and the fact that the USA is the most successful country in the World Cup competition reinforced that notion.

However, the USA had a poor WC in 2023, second in its group and out in the first playoff round. I took it as a blip but looking into the club scene in the US has now got me wondering. 

The table below rewards top clubs making the top four in the elite league (National Women's Soccer league) from its inception in 2013 and NWSL Challenge Cup since 2020. For the history of women's soccer in the US, the time period I've covered is just scratching the surface.

The problem is that before that, clubs came and went like a morning mist. That's the conclusion I reached. The lack of stability made a club comparison a long list with little meaning. At least since 2013 there has been more settled.

The most successful club is the North Carolina Courage and they started in 2017. Prior to that they were the West New York Flash that relocated to NC. I have kept them separate below but if combined, totally dominant. 

FC Kansas City dropped out in 2018. The Houston Dash arrived in 2014, the Orlando Pride 2015 with both the Kansas City Currant and San Diego Wave entering in 2022. So even now, with new teams joining and a few dropping out, it has the feel of a league that is establishing itself. If anyone can add to my conclusion or state why it's not as I'm seeing it, leave a comment below. Registering not a requirement to do so. 

As for regions, the US always has to deal with the tyranny of distance. The east of the country is where most clubs are based with over half the points going there. 

England Clubs Ranked - 1991/92 to 2023/24 (Women)

Because the women's game has been amateur for some years and only recently have things progressed, it's the most recent history that is more like the men's setup. Some of the earlier club's names sounded very small in scope which reflected the reality of their situation.

Professionalism really started in the 2011 season with the WFA Super League but I started in 1991/92 when its predecessor the FA Women's National League commenced. The chart to the right shows points accrued in England under 'Eng' and 'Tot'  includes European competition. Chelsea is the team at the moment but historically Arsenal is Ms Consistency. 

Points are earned this way: For the WFA National League (Division 1) the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. In the FA Cup, 4 and 2 for the finalists, the FAW League Cup 3 and 1. The European Champions League it's 8, 4 and 2 points. 

The WFA league is no surprise with Arsenal WFC well ahead. Between 2000/01 and 2012 it won 11 out of the 12 titles. Trying to emulate that feat is Chelsea FCW has won eight out of ten from 2015 to 2023/24. In between that Liverpool FCW won 2013 and 2014. Doncaster Rovers were strong from 1991/92 to 2006/07 but little since. Charlton Athletic was of a similar timeframe. 

The FA Cup goes way back to the 1970/71 season but we start twenty one years later. Interestingly, Arsenal haven't won this since 2016. Chelsea have won four times since then, Manchester City twice and Manchester United once and are the current holders. 

The League Cup was first held in the 1991/92 season when this summary starts. It could be known as the Arsenal Cup. In the 32 years it has been contested, Arsenal have been in 23 finals and won 17 of those. Chelsea have been in the last five finals, winning twice. 

Finally Europe. The European Champions League was first held in 2001/02 season but clubs in England haven't been that successful. Arsenal won it in 2007 but that is the only final appearance for any of the clubs. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

For the men the North West is strongest but for the women, it's definitely London with 63.9% of the points. The NW does come in next but a distant second with 19.9%. The NE (10.4%), Midlands (3.3%) and the South (2.5%) are well back with no sides doing well presently. 

South Korea: Clubs Ranked - 1983 to 2023

It's an unusual football scene. Like Japan, initially the clubs were associated with organisations, then as they went professional, names changed and they became more like we see elsewhere. 

There aren't that many clubs either that challenge for the top and yet success is well spread among them. Things essentially kicked off in 1983.

The chart to the right / top shows points for the Korean domestic competition (Kor) and then includes Asia (Tot). The points are: K League (Division 1) the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The FA Cup equivalent 4 and 2 points for the finalists only. League Cups 3 and 1. In the Asia Club Championship, it's 8, 4 and 2 points.

The K League is tightly packed despite the points system really favouring success over consistent mediocrity for want of a better term. Recent winners are Jeonbuk Hyundai FC with five in a row from 2017 to 2021, then Ulsan HD with the last two (2022-2023).

The FA Cup started in 1983 and three sides are locked at the top of the honours board. Suwon Bluewings (2019), Jeonbuk Hyundai FC (2020 and 2022), Jeonnam Dragons (2021), and the Pohang Steelers (2023) being the more recent winners. There have been no consecutive winners for ten years now.

There have been two league cups of limited duration. The one to the left from 1992 to 2011 with an outlier in 1986. The other from 1997 to 2000 is not shown here. 

The Asian club championship started in 1985 but it was from 1995 that Korean clubs really started to have an impact. I assume that was due to South Korea being late getting a pro comp up and running. Since then they have done well with 12 winners, 6 losing finalists and 12 semi final exits. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

The areas are Gyeongsangnam or the east and toward the south, which accounted for the top two clubs and 42.9% of the total. I expected Seoul to be the leading area. That comes under North with nearby satellite cities added and 36.7% of the total. The West is someway south of Seoul with one strong club. Finally the South with is two coastal clubs and one on an island south of the country, Jeju. 

Copa América : 1975-2024

The Copa América has been around since 1916 but in 1975 it became a regular event with all South American major sides participating so a good place to start. From 1993 the practice of inviting countries from outside the region to join has been the norm, 2021 the exception. Australia and Qatar were to be the invitees that year but both had to pull out when rescheduling the event clashed with existing commitments.  

2024: The ten regular nations were joined by six invited sides. The invitees usually don't do well, México being the only outsider to make a final (twice without winning). So how did it go?

A: Argentina won as expected with three wins from three. Canada was a surprise qualifier with Chile and Perú both having disappointing tournaments. Scoring was muted, with no more than two goals in a match. 6 goals (av 1.0). 

B: Venezuela was a comfortable qualifier with three wins. Ecuador just got past México while Jamaica ended up just making up the numbers. Goal scoring was reasonably plentiful, one game even had four. 12 goals (av 2.0). 

C: A third group with the winner winning all three, this time it was Uruguay. Panamá came second to oust a poor USA side and Bolivia was all at sea (although landlocked). The teams had no trouble scoring. 19 goals (av 3.2). 

D: Colombia won the group, courtesy of a draw with Brazil in their final group match and Brazil drawing their first one against Costa Rica. Brazil still qualified at CR's expense. Paraguay was off the pace in this tournament. 16 goals (av 2.7). 

Eight: The first playoff was taken to penalties with a last gasp equaliser by Ecuador but they lost on penalties anyway. Canada went ahead 1-0 and outplayed Venezuela but needed a penalty shootout win to progress. Colombia overwhelmed Panamá but Uruguay won on penalties against Brazil after playing out a 0-0 draw. 

Four: It would have some surprise had Canada got past Argentina but a successful tournament regardless. Colombia had the better form and managed to progress despite playing half the game a man short.  Unfortunately, some ugly scenes after the game.

Two: Argentina vs Colombia was an open affair but instead it was 0-0 after 90 minutes and it wasn't until late in extra time that Argentina got the winner. Lionel Messi came off injured and I wonder if that was his last international match. A wonderful career but I think it's time. Crowd trouble again, this time before the match outside the stadium delayed the start of the game. Shameful. 

Historical results back to 1975 show that Brazil is the most successful nation. They are some way ahead of Argentina and Uruguay, which are neck and neck. Argentina refused to attend in 2001 due to perceived safety concerns. Canada also pulled out after the event was rescheduled. Costa Rica filled in for Canada and Honduras hastily threw a team together to cover for Argentina. Both did well at short notice. 

Brazil has won it six times, Argentina now four and Uruguay three (since 1975). Chile managed two when tournaments were played in consecutive years. Perú and Paraguay started well with trophies but not since. Argentina passed Uruguay in the 2021 tournament and is now pulling away but still some way short of Brazil.

Southgate's England Team Managerial Tenure - Part 2

Before reading this, I suggest Part 1 be read first, which you can do by clicking here.

How can one accurately assess the performance of a coach? From reading forum comments, the majority feel he's been around too long and a change should have been made by now. 

The reasons given that I have seen are: his inability to react when his initial game plan isn't working. Managers of better quality nations have worked out how to neutralise England's play and he is now out of his depth in countering that. A too cautious approach despite a quality roster is another complaint. He picks on reputation rather than form.  

Those in his favour point to better than average results when compared to managers that preceded him. He is credited with creating a positive atmosphere among the players he picks. 

I think all of the above comments either pro or con have some truth to them. I do think the better than average results need to be qualified. Modern qualification groups are more likely to feature lesser nations such as Andorra and San Marino as examples. Previous managers didn't have such games to inflate win rates. 

Another point is seen in the chart. In all competitions they have contested, success has waned. England did make the final in Europe 2024, but the loss (again) means that all tournaments have seen a progressive drop in the final standing or in the last one a repeat of the same. 

In summary, I feel Gareth Southgate started well but has been kept on too long in the job. I feel there is too much haste shown by clubs to remove coaches and not enough in the England setup. 

If he was managing a top club side, he would have been moved on by now. A very good Euro 2024 tournament may have saved his bacon. He did react more quickly with substitutions later in Euro 24. 

I'm no longer certain that replacing him will improve things as the best coaches don't usually coach national sides. On the down side, England went back to looking somewhat tentative against Spain and that is not a route the England national side needs to take. I'd ultimately still go for a change as this side should have been managed better.

PS. He resigned a few days after Euro24 in case you hadn't noticed. 

UEFA Euros : 1964 to 2024

 The 2024 Euros are on and here is a progress report of what has happened now the group stage is completed. What can we make of proceedings so far?

A: The hosts moved smoothly into the next stage with Switzerland. The other two teams didn't really look like progressing. Scotland's first up match was a horror show but they changed things and regained some respectability. 17 goals (av 2.8).

B: This was a carbon copy of Group 1 with two sides better than the others. That said. Italy wasn't all that convincing and the niggling Croatian team could have progressed but thankfully didn't. Albania tried hard. 14 goals (av 2.3).

C: Some tournaments have a group of death but this was a group of boring. No games featured more than one goal per team or two per game. England cautiously tip toed through which impressed few. Denmark and Slovenia were resolute defensively. 7 goals (av 1.2).

D: France was the only unbeaten side and favourite but two draws consigned them to second place. Austria was impressive and deservedly won the group after losing the first match. The Netherlands was average and Poland was quite poor. 15 goals (av 2.5).

E: This was an unusually tight group with all teams ending up with four points. It was an evenly contested group so as favourite Belgium will be disappointed they didn't stand out. The Ukraine wanted good news no doubt but it wasn't to be. 11 goals (av 1.8).

F: Top team Portugal won the group but was surprisingly beaten by Georgia in the final match. That lifted them into the next round. With Turkey also going well, it was a hard working Czechia that missed out. 17 Goals (av2.8).

The group matches are now known and are shown below. None of the last 16 teams could say they have a soft game. The better rated sides are not firing on all cylinders and that means the lower ranked sides could force an upset or three. 

Sixteen: Germany and Switzerland advanced effortlessly while Spain overwhelmed a plucky Georgia. England were the one side to advance without conviction. A last gasp goal in regular time and a quick one into extra time saved them but otherwise, it was overly cautious. Slovakian players showed the merit of acting classes with repeated feigned injuries but to no avail. 

The Netherlands impressed in advancing to the last eight but neither France nor Portugal showed much fire power. Portugal showed penalties are their thing. Turkey battled to send an in form Austria home. 

Group E only had 1.8 goals per match and the group expired this round. Group C was even worse at 1.2 and that group survived only because of a late flurry by England. Two poor groups. Group B was the next lowest scoring group and is represented by one team, Spain.

Eight: Spain and Germany was a good match up with Spain producing the slightly better play and acting. Germany got an equaliser late to earn extra time but then Spain scored late in extra time to win. The other match (France and Portugal) was a borefest in comparison. Two sides with little idea of how to score and neither did until penalties. 

On the other side of the draw, the England vs Switzerland game was low on goal scoring opportunities. The Swiss went ahead late in the game but England soon equalised but it ultimately came down to penalties. Türkiye outplayed the Netherlands in the first half to lead 1-0 at the break but the Netherlands (third in their group) got two back in the second in a more entertaining match. 

Four: Spain may have fallen behind early but they soon were a goal up and never relinquished that. France struggled to score all tournament so it was unlikely they could address conceding two. 

The Netherlands also went ahead early on but when a defender missed the ball and played the man in the penalty box, there was only one decision to make and that wasn't hard. Harry took it. Just when extra time loomed large, Gareth Southgate's replacements (no, he did actually make some) paid off. 

Two: Spain outplayed England overall but score of 0-0 was score at half time. It soon became 1-0 to Spain though. England equalised later to set up a fine finish only for Spain to find a very late winner.  

Summary: Spain has now won four tournaments to Germany's three but Germany has been to six finals compared to Spain's four. Italy and France have each won two with another three a single win. Russia (USSR) has lost three finals with England two, both yet to win a trophy. 

The historical chart is below and barely fits with slightly blurry, smaller fonts the result. Russia (including the former USSR) has made three finals, all unsuccessful. They weren't invited in 2024. The old Czechoslovakia I included with Czechia results as the stronger of the two nations that emerged. I did the same with Croatia and the old Yugoslavia. Russia too with the USSR as already mentioned. 

Southgate's England Team Managerial Tenure - Part 1

An unusual angle to take, discussing a long term managerial role for a full national side. However, it has been an increasingly divisive tenure as many feel he should have gone before now. To reach a conclusion, the facts need to be looked at. I'll save my conclusion on the situation for Part 2.

Below each year is put in a block of results. The term home in 'Home/Win' isn't for all matches in that column. If the game is part of a tournament, then they are at neutral venues. In such cases, the winning side is listed there anyway as I don't have a 'Neutral' column. 

It started in 2016 with four matches, three being World Cup qualifiers and one friendly match. Two wins and two draws against one top nation, two medium and one lower ranked nation. Too early to read much into that.

For 2017, there were ten England games played. Six World Cup qualifiers and one friendly match. Five wins, three draws and two losses. Germany has been an average side for some time now so a let off for Gareth Southgate. The same for Brazil too perhaps. France was the best team faced here. Three lower nation matches, three medium games and four against higher countries.  

For 2018, there were sixteen England games played. Six World Cup matches, eight friendly ones and two Nations League games. Ten wins, three draws and three losses. This was a good period for Southgate. The standard of the opponents was good too but Panama was clearly outclassed.  

For the England v Colombia game, it was 1-1 aet but England went on to win 4-3 on penalties. 

In 2019, only ten international matches. Eight games were Euro qualifiers, Nations League finals contests. Seven victories, one draw and two losses sounds good. The overall quality of the opposition was not high though so while showed they could score against lesser opponents, it is hard to judge their progress. 

For the England v Switzerland game, it was 0-0 aet but England went on to win 6-5 on penalties. 

Only eight matches in 2020, six of which were for the Nations League and two friendly games. Five victories, one draw and two losses. Against reasonably decent opponents, not bad.

In 2021 no fewer than nineteen games were played. World Cup qualifiers amounted to ten of those, the 2020 Euro Finals (delayed to 2021) added seven and a couple of friendlies were thrown in for good measure. Fifteen wins and four draws was a good haul but there were plenty of lesser teams played with high quality, in form opposition missing. 

For the England v Italy game, it was 1-1 aet but Italy went on to win 3-2 on penalties. 

For 2022, thirteen games, two friendlies, six for the Nations League and five at the World Cup for that year. Just five wins, four draws and four losses. Considering the teams they played, a poor year in Gareth Southgate's managerial tenure. 

2023 had just ten internationals, two friendly ones and the rest Euro 2024 qualifiers. Eight wins with one draw and one loss. Looked good but most games against lower ranked nations. 

2024 has involved four friendly matches played and seven in the Euro 2024 tournament. Four wins, four draws and three losses. Not a good start but finished much stronger. A strong finish to the Euro 24 campaign showed the skill in the squad and the kind run they had helpful too. 

Pat two: Simply click here.

Japan: Clubs Ranked - 1965 to 2023

Football's evolution in Japan has been gradual. A semi professional Japan Soccer League started in 1965, moving on to the fully professional J League in 1993. 

The cup gets more difficult. The JSL Cup started from the 1970's and it also became the J League Cup in 1993. The Emperor Cup is the longest competition but I decided to start counting from 1965 in line with the Japan Soccer League's inception.

Before the J League, clubs were connected to companies and carried their names too. When the J League was initiated, most club names were changed and they are the ones used here. 

Some clubs have been introduced during this period under consideration and a few have folded. With the introduction of the professional J League, the amount of success a club enjoyed changed too. So no club really dominates the list above. 

The chart to the right / top shows points for the Japanese domestic competition (Jap) and then includes Asia (Tot). The points are: J League (Division 1) the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The two cup competitions 4 and 2 points for the finalists only. In the Asia Club Championship, it's 8, 4 and 2 points.

For the J League (plus JSL) the most successful club is the Urawa Red Diamonds and a recently successful club the Kashmiri Antlers third. The Kawasaki Frontale club won in 2020 and 2021, the Yokohama F Marinos 2022 and Vissel Kobe in 2023. Most recent winners are not in the list to the right.

The J League Cup is not old (mid 1970's) so the points are not high. The Kashmira Antlers are the most successful. The last eleven trophies have been awarded to eleven different clubs. The last six are for clubs not on the list to the left. That's another reason why the points aren't too high. They are well spread around. 

The Emperor's Cup dates back to 1921 but I only counted from 1965 when the sport was getting more professional. There have been 22 different winners over this time, the Urawa Red Diamonds is the most successful with eight wins in twelve finals appearances. They last won in 2021, Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2022 and Kashiwa Reysol in 2023.  

The Asia Club Championship started in earnest in the 1985-86 season. Of the 38 times it has been held, Japanese clubs have won it on eight different occasions and is the current holder. 

Urawa Red Diamonds is that club and it has won three trophies. Four others once each. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. Any suggestions? Please leave a comment. 

Kantō covers Tokyo and the surrounding area so there is no surprise it has won 62.9% of all points among Japanese clubs. Kansai is two regions down from there and is next (14.7%). Chūbu is between them and third with 11.6%. The south is whatever is below Chūbu (9.5%) and the north is above Kantō. 

Egypt: Clubs Ranked - 1961 to 2023

Egypt is a strong football nation in Africa and that includes at club level. That's helped by having the talent mostly focused within a few clubs. The chart to the right shows success achieved domestically (Egy) and then with success in Africa being added (Tot). Al Ahli and Zamelek lead the way, both from the Cairo area.

So how do the points work? In the Premier League (Division 1) the top four are rewarded with 6, 3, 2 and 1. The Egypt Cup 4 and 2 points for the finalists only. In the African Champions League (from 1965), it's 8, 4 and 2 points. The CAF Cup (same as the Europa League; since 1992 ) 6,3,2,1. The Cup Winner's Cup (1975 to 2003) 4 and 2. 

The Premier League is dominated by the three clubs to the left. Since 2014 Al Ahly has won the title seven times and Zamalek the other three. The 2013 season wasn't completed due to a coup d'état.

Since 2013 only the top two listed have won the title. Zamalek seven times and Al Alhy four. The cup wasn't held in 2012 due to a deadly riot at a match.  

Egyptian success in the three African tournaments has increased over this period. It started to get serious in the 1980's and Al Ahly in particular has dominated this decade so far. 

All put together, the clubs are below. The grand total is shown for each club, divided into regions with a ranking number (Rk) which gives their place compared to all the other clubs. In some years there have been no tournaments held due to war, riots and political unrest but thankfully most seasons have been completed.

Cairo is a sprawling metropolis that has many clubs within its urban reach. 78.0% of all success is from that area. The East which basically runs down the Suez Canal and it claimed 12.3%. Alexandria (4.7%) Central (4.5%) and South (0.5%) make up the rest.