San Jose Earthquakes
Overview
I led the soccer analytics function within Soccer Operations, supporting coaching staff, recruitment, and executive leadership in a highly time-sensitive environment. The role was fully on-site and closely embedded in daily training, match preparation, and transfer activity.
Match reporting
I designed and delivered pre-match opposition analysis focused on tactical matchups, player-level threats, and areas of the pitch where advantages or vulnerabilities were likely to emerge. These reports were presented weekly, and more frequently during congested match schedules, directly to coaches and senior leadership.
Post-match analysis was delivered through Power BI dashboards, supported by custom Python visualizations including shot maps, passing networks, heatmaps, and player profiles. I designed all visual standards to maximize football context and reduce interpretation overhead for non-technical stakeholders.
Platform & recruitment
I built and maintained the club's backend data infrastructure, ingesting match and player data across more than 30 global leagues for scouting and recruitment. Pipelines were developed using Python, SQL, Postgres, Dagster, and Docker, and were designed to run continuously due to the global nature of the transfer market.
Recruitment analysis included player valuation, positional prioritization, transfer market dynamics, and league-level pricing patterns. I worked closely with the General Manager to support budget-constrained decision making, identifying undervalued leagues and player profiles likely to translate successfully to Major League Soccer.
Leadership & additional work
I managed and mentored junior analysts, providing guidance on programming practices, data visualization, presentation structure, and analytical reasoning. I also supported hiring efforts, including job design, resume review, and interviews.
Additional work included player development analysis, ownership-level reporting on performance trends and playoff probability, and ongoing monitoring of tactical and statistical changes across MLS and global football.