The Run of Play - Attacking Football

The Run of Play is a blog about
the wonder and terror of soccer.

We left the window open during a match in October 2007 and a strange wind blew into the room.

Now we walk the forgotten byways of football with a lonely tread, searching for the beautiful, the bewildering, the haunting, and the absurd.

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Barcelona as Slime Mold

They’re a swarm intelligence, Alan Jacobs writes.
El Clasico Illustrated

Giants under the lights, by Matthew Craven.
The Argentine Renaissance

Elliott on how the Argentina squad is like a Florentine art school.
On Gareth Bale

He’s been a joy to watch this year, despite the British press, writes Alan Jacobs.
KC Barcelona

“Sporting Kansas City” shows why MLS should embrace American soccer history.
Harry Redknapp’s Tactics

Where we’re going, we won’t need chalkboards.
On Talent, and Using It

Footballers who give everything to the game often wind up broken, James Tyler writes.
Undisputed

The new FreeDarko book is fantastic, whether you’re a basketball fan or not.
On Loyalty

What the Rooney contract saga says about the idea of loyalty in sports.