As this year’s World Cup gets underway, the role of technology in the planet’s most popular sport has never been more evident. Between goal-line technology, scientifically and technologically advanced jerseys, 4K TV productions, player training methods, and the ball, itself, technology is impacting every single aspect of the quadrennial tournament.
This pervasiveness of tech in soccer provides a great learning experience and, fortunately, for sports industry professionals and fans who want to learn more about the inner-workings of the sport, the Bay Area Sports and Tech Meetup, hosted by Michael Frank, put together an all-star panel last week discussing “Innovation in the Beautiful Game.” The panel consisted of a team executive, investor, player/media personality, and startup founder who discussed how technology is changing soccer. They touched on innovation in strategy and player development, how the economics and media side are changing, and where there are opportunities for startups and innovators to thrive.
Best of all, they recorded the whole event:
Panelists Included:
Eric Wynalda – Analyst, Fox Sports. Former professional soccer player and leading scorer in U.S. National Soccer Team history.
David Kaval – President, San Jose Earthquakes (MLS). Co-Founder, Golden Baseball League.
Mitch Lasky – Partner, Benchmark Capital. Former executive in the gaming industry (E.A., Activision, etc.).
Mark Brunkhart – Founder / President of Match Analysis (soccer analytics company that works with teams and media co’s around the world).