In case you've missed it, ESPN have commissioned Nate Silver to create a a brand new international soccer rankings system specifically designed to appeal to American fans.
How does it work? In ESPN's own words:
"The basic concept is that the SPI rating represents a team's overall skill level. The SPI ratings are intended to be forward-looking. They measure a team's relative likelihood of victory if a competitive match were to be held tomorrow. This concept may differ slightly from a retrospective or backward-looking ratings system. We aren't trying to reward or punish teams based on past results so much as we are trying to predict which teams will have the most success in the immediate future."
View the complicated system which give the rankings their score, as well as the current world rankings. (The US are ranked #14 in the world on the SPI).
What are your thoughts on the new ESPN SPI vs. the more traditional rankings, such as the FIFA system? Share your thoughts below.
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