The Guardian has an interesting read about Oakland A's GM (and diehard Tottenham Hotspur FC fan) Billy Beane, and his efforts to identify undervalued qualities in soccer players, much in the same way that he did with OBP in Moneyball.  This could have far reaching effects in European soccer, as most players are acquired by purchase in soccer as opposed to trades, and the disparities in payroll are even greater than they are in MLB.

The whole piece is worth a look, even though there is some remedial explanation of baseball to help the baseball neophytes through.