In a slight departure from the usual, Tuesday's OneSoccer Player and Pundit Hangout was joined by Jim Corsi, goaltending coach for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. Corsi has become known in the hockey community over the years as a pioneer of the sport's analytics movement, having invented what's now known as the Corsi possession stat. Perhaps a little less well-known, though, is Corsi's history with soccer. He suited up for the Montreal Olympique of the old NASL, as well as the Canadian national team on one occasion, in the 1970s. He recalled his one trip with the national team, having joined them in 1973 for a tour of Europe. "We were playing in Malta ... you know what they had for grass? Gravel," Corsi said. OneSoccer pundits Oliver Platt, Asa Rehman, and Adam Jenkins chatted with Corsi about his history in both sports, as well as how statistics can be important tools for analysis in both. Corsi explained that there may be more similarities between the two sports than one might expect — with everything from dump-and-chase styles of attack to swarm defending. Having worked for the Buffalo Sabres for many years, Corsi coached Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek briefly. He explained how the Czech-born goalie (whose brother was a professional footballer back home) had some qualities he may have learned from soccer growing up "Dom brought skill and athleticism and combined them and it often looked like he (made saves) by happenstance, but he did it on purpose," Corsi recalled. "Athleticism was a new and valuable part of the skillset." Corsi added that Wayne Gretzky, with whom he played for the Edmonton Oilers in 1980, also reminded him at times of a soccer player. "Gretz was highly criticized because he couldn't pass," Corsi said. "(But) he'd pass like a soccer player, he'd pass into space." Among other topics, the four spoke at length about analytics in modern sports and how the Corsi statistic came about, and then spent some time comparing the greatest players from soccer and hockey. "Statistics are like a lamppost to a drunk," Corsi quipped. "You can use them to lean on, or to illuminate." To watch Tuesday's OneSoccer Player & Pundit Hangout with Corsi in full, click here. Subscribe to OneSoccer’s YouTube channel for more.

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