It’s finally time again to delve into MLS Statistical Analysis. We’ll do the offense Thursday and defense Friday. Last time out, all of the teams had played between three and six matches, and this time the numbers are between 12 and 17. Here’s the data I worked with, organized alphabetically by team.
(GP = games played / G = goals / S = shots / SOG = shots on goal / FC = fouls committed / FS = fouls suffered)
Seattle have played three matches more than Philadelphia, but they’ve shot nearly 100 times more (220) than the Union (127.) Kansas City and Real Salt Lake are tied for the least games played in MLS (12), but Real are 11 points better (21 to 10.) Of course some of that has to do with the fact that Kansas City opened with a massive road trip while Livestrong Sporting Park was constructed. The other part of that has to do with the fact that Kansas City aren’t very good. Just three teams have scored 20 or more goals: Los Angeles (23), New York (21), and San Jose (20.) On we go to the statistics we use for the rankings, sorted by PPG (points per game)…
(GPG = goals per game / SPG = shots per game / %SOG = percentage of shots that are on goal / %S=G = percentage of shots resulting in goals / %SOG=G = percentage of shots on goal resulting in goals / FD = foul differential, fouls suffered minus fouls committed)
Los Angeles have played the most games in MLS (17) and because of that it makes sense that they’d have earned the most points (31), but they also have the best PPG (1.82). On the other end of the spectrum is Vancouver (0.73). Only two teams are shooting less than 10 times per game: Colorado (9.93) and Philadelphia (9.77), but both are in the top third of the league in PPG. Let’s move onto the rankings, sorted by PPG, with the top 3 of each category in blue and the bottom 3 in orange…
Immediately I notice that none of the top four teams in PPG are in the top three in GPG. Los Angeles is the best (4th, 1.35) of that bunch, and the other three are 8th or worse. San Jose as a whole are at the top of the league in three of the offensive (non-PPG or foul differential) categories, leading GPG (1.54), shots resulting in goals (12.82%) and shots on goal resulting in goals (36.36%). Conversely, Columbus are bottom three in all but one offensive category, coming in at 16th in GPG (1.00), shots on goal (31.87%) and shots on goal resulting in goals (24.14%), and they’re 17th in shots resulting in goals (7.69%). But at least Columbus are only 10th in PPG, compared to New England who are experiencing even worse offensive performance (dead last in two categories, bottom three in two others), and are 16th in PPG.
As much as I hate to admit it, New York have come a long way since the first Statistical Analysis. They were last in three offensive categories and 17th in another after playing 4 games, but now they’re fourth or better in three. The biggest improvement has come in GPG, from last with 0.50 goals to second with 1.50. I imagine much of that has to do with their improvement in finding the frame, from 17th with 31.03% of shots finding the frame to second with 39.43%.
It’s great to see D.C. United in the top three in the league in three offensive categories. The Black and Red are scoring 1.38 GPG (3rd), and their percentage of shots on goal (41.26%) leads the league. This all comes despite shooting only 11.00 times per game (15th), which is exactly the same number of shots they averaged after four games, but that number was good enough for 12th then. Despite their accuracy when shooting, the shots that do find the frame are only going in 30.15% of the time, good for 8th. What’s troubling is that this team is actually shooting less than they did last year (11.23 SPG). What’s it going to take to get these guys to just shoot the ball when they’re in range?
Next up we’ll get to the defense and goalkeeping. I expect troubling numbers in the goalkeeping department for D.C., strong defensive numbers for Philadelphia, Real Salt Lake and Colorado, and very troubling defensive and goalkeeping numbers for Kansas City, and potentially Chivas.
Filed under: DC United, Statistical Analysis
