Featured Matches: highlights review
SoccerSTATS.com - updated on: 27 Aug 2021
It's one of those late afternoons when the game has already started, and it seems the referee will have blown for half-time before we even get home to catch a glimpse of the action.
In the interim, we might tune into the radio, scour live commentary, or browse social media posts from those fortunate enough to be watching the game live, hoping to glean some insight as football-starved enthusiasts.
However, this is a crucial game, and a mere pop-up or goal notification simply won't suffice. We demand more. We crave to understand what's unfolding, how our team is performing. Twenty minutes in and still 0-0? Alright, but what *did* happen? Is our team displaying focus and a solid attitude, or is the engine still idling, perhaps even showing signs of weakness? We need answers, and in such situations, answers often come in the form of statistics.
Or do they? How truly insightful can a statistic be? Let's steer clear of that debate for now, as it would lead us far beyond the realm of football. Suffice it to say, the utility of a stat largely depends on the question being asked.
Match Statistics
So, we begin sifting through the match's numerous statistical indicators. Here's how many passes one team made, and over there, the distance a particular player has covered, or the percentage of ball possession each team held. There must be some baseline metrics against which these values can be compared to gauge how this game deviates from the average.
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But then again, our team is playing, and we're seeking answers. We know about possession and pass counts, but we don't know how many of those passes were backward or lateral in their own half, versus how many were incisive through balls that genuinely threatened the opponent's defense.
Passing and Ball Possession as a Style of Play
Depending on their playing style, for some teams, the number of passes merely reflects how long midfielders opted to retain possession without significant pressure, patiently awaiting an opening in the opponent's defense.
Other teams don't aim to create chances through prolonged possession sequences. Much of their effort is expended out of possession, by pressing opponents and consistently positioning themselves to swiftly capitalize on any mistakes.
Therefore, when we observe statistics showing a visiting team with half the possession time and half the number of passes as their opponents, it doesn't necessarily indicate underperformance. It could simply mean they managed to create just as much danger with fewer attempts or more precise execution.
Ball Possession Level Due to Tactical Changes
Sometimes, the same team within a single match will exhibit two distinct approaches to their game. For example, a team might dominate the first half, score two goals just before half-time, and then spend the second half allowing their opponents to expend energy pursuing an equalizer. The leading team would then largely focus on counter-attacking opportunities, conserving energy for a strong finish in the final 10 minutes.
In such a context, if we were to evaluate that team's second-half statistics, with a very low possession ratio, perhaps only one or two corners, and hardly any shots on goal, there could be different interpretations. However, it becomes clear that these numbers have less to do with a "weaker" second half and more with the game unfolding precisely according to plan.
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Making Sense of the Data
It will take more than a statistical review to fully comprehend the effort invested by a team during that second half. This is why we watch matches live, and as football fans, we listen to analysts -- those who understand how coaches think and can explain their likely intentions and the tactics employed to achieve them.
When such resources are available, we gain genuine answers. When they are not, it's tempting to scrutinize gameplay statistics, and before we know it, we find ourselves dissecting every detail, losing sight of the broader picture, and perhaps even without a clear idea of how expansive that picture truly needs to be.
Match Analysis
When we resort to statistics because watching the action isn't an option, the missing piece of the puzzle often relates to perception. Naturally, perceptions don't translate well into numbers. Perceptions require detail, nuance, and time to articulate. Only when that perception has been properly communicated can we expect to form a clear and comprehensive understanding of what transpired on the pitch.
Sometimes, we get to hear such analyses at half-time or after the game concludes. Post-match analyses are generally more exhaustive but, being inherently shaped by the final result, they tend to emphasize the strengths of the winning team and the weaknesses of the losing side.
While there's little credibility in analyses praising losers or detailing winners' shortcomings, listening to a match analysis in the emotional aftermath of a win or a defeat differs from a half-time recap when the score is level and the likely victor remains unclear. In each case, the analysis must factor in that specific context.
Focusing on Game Highlights
Watching game highlights is, of course, another valuable resource for a more complete understanding of the match.
When the highlights are extensive enough to cover all notable goal-scoring situations, we can gain insight into our team's performance. We can see how narrowly missed chances came to fruition. Exactly how a goal opportunity was created. How fortunate or unfortunate key actions proved to be, and which players truly made a difference and how.
In the absence of live action, a well-curated highlight sequence can provide the closest approximation to a complete picture of the game's pivotal moments, transcending mere numbers.
Highlights Review
For each of the Featured Matches, the Highlights Review section aims to describe a selection of key game actions, aligning with the website's statistical focus. To achieve this, each reviewed highlight is structured into three stages: Set-up, Attempt, and Outcome.
Each stage is represented by one of the possible events or situations detailed below.
Stage 1: The Set-up
The Set-up is the phase that facilitated the goal-scoring chance. It answers the question: "What was the primary origin of this goal opportunity?" The Set-up stage can be characterized by one of the following situations:
| Set-up |
| Individual action |
A player independently broke through the defense, perhaps by dribbling past an opponent or out-pacing the defensive line. Thanks to this individual effort, the team finds itself in a goal-scoring situation where the player is now in a position to either shoot or provide an assist to a teammate in a crucial area.
|
| Collective action |
The attacking team created a goal opportunity through a series of passes or a cross.
|
| Through ball |
This is another form of collective play, but in this instance, the chance arose from a single forward pass penetrating the defense, placing an attacking player in a shooting position or on a clear path to one as the opponent's defense was displaced by the pass.
|
| Rebound |
A "Rebound" Set-up occurs when the attacking player's goal-scoring position results from various scenarios, such as the ball deflecting off another player or the woodwork, being parried by the goalkeeper back into play, or intercepted after a missed clearance. This category also encompasses most unusual situations, including own-goals, errant backward passes, and other fortunate or unfortunate events that directly endangered the defense.
|
| Indirect set piece |
The player in a shooting position received a pass from a teammate following an indirect set-piece, which could be a free-kick, a corner, or rarely, even a goal kick from the goalkeeper. This type of set-up also extends beyond typical set pieces to situations where a player is set up for a goal chance after a long throw-in. More broadly, this category covers scenarios where an attacking player had the time and freedom of movement to attempt to deliver the ball to a teammate in a favorable position.
|
Stage 2: The Attempt
This stage describes the action taken by the player in a scoring position to try and score.
| Attempt |
| Single touch |
The player did not take time to control the ball or adjust their position before shooting. The shot was taken instantly from the position the player received the ball, for example, deflecting the ball towards goal after a cross.
|
| Multiple touches |
The attacking player touched the ball at least once before shooting, perhaps to control it, find a better shooting angle, or carry the ball past defenders before taking the shot.
|
| Header |
This is another type of single-touch attempt, but in this instance, the player used their head or chest to deliver the attempt on goal.
|
| Direct set piece |
The ball was struck directly towards the goal in one touch from a set piece such as a free-kick, a penalty, or even a corner, without involvement from another attacking player.
|
Stage 3: The Outcome
The outcome is the result of the attempt on goal.
| Outcome |
| Wide |
The attempt on goal missed the target without any touch from a defending player.
|
| Blocked |
The defending team regained possession, for example, the goalkeeper secured the ball with both hands or a defender blocked the attempt, thus recovering possession for their team.
|
| Deflected |
The attempt on goal was denied by a one-touch save or another type of deflection that clearly prevented the ball from entering the goal, but did not result in the defending team regaining possession. An example would be a goalkeeper tipping a high shot over the crossbar.
|
| Woodwork |
The ball rebounded back into play after striking the post or the crossbar.
|
| Goal |
The referee validated the goal.
|
Action Description Structure
By combining these elements, each highlight action in the highlights review section is presented using the consistent structure of (Set-up -> Attempt -> Outcome).
For example:
"Through ball -> One touch -> Deflected"
or "Rebound -> Header -> Woodwork"
each represents a structural description of a specific goal-scoring opportunity.
Involved Players
In addition to the "Set-up -> Attempt -> Outcome" description, each featured action includes the names of the involved players, with the player taking the shot highlighted in bold. Other key players who participated in the action may also be mentioned, including defending players if they significantly influenced the outcome.
Players Star Rating
For each reviewed highlight, involved players can be awarded a star rating based on their impact in either capitalizing on or defending against the goal opportunity. While this rating is subjective, we provide a structured explanation of what each rating signifies. Star ratings range from 0 to 3, evaluating players' involvement levels as follows:
| Star Rating for Each Action |
| 0 |
When the player influenced the action, but clearly not voluntarily (e.g., an own-goal or a lucky/unlucky bounce or deflection).
|
| 1 |
One star generally indicates that the player "did their job." The player participated in the action, but without clearly exceeding expectations. Some players simply find themselves in the right place at the right time. The more frequently this occurs, the more stars they will accumulate, one at a time.
|
| 2 |
The player performed well, achieving something that appeared challenging. These are moments where we watch the replay and think, "nicely done." Examples include an attacking player dribbling past two defenders and maintaining composure to wrong-foot the goalkeeper, or a goalkeeper making a crucial save from a penalty or another highly dangerous shot.
|
| 3 |
The player executed something exceptional. This doesn't necessarily mean "once-in-a-lifetime" exceptional, but rather moments of undeniable class that directly generated significant value. These are the instances that periodically remind us why we cherish this sport so deeply.
|
Consider a highlight where a player swiftly evades three defenders to deliver a cross for a teammate's easy tap-in goal. The goal scorer might receive one star for their contribution, while the player who provided the assist could be awarded two stars, depending on how instrumental their movement was in converting the action into a goal-scoring opportunity.
In another scenario, imagine an attacking player breaking free from their marker and unleashing a powerful mid-range shot that would have resulted in a goal had the goalkeeper not pulled off a brilliant save. In this situation, both the attacking player and the goalkeeper could be awarded two stars for their involvement. The structural description for such a highlight action might be:
"Individual play -> Multiple touches -> Deflected"
Highlights Action Summary
As our focus lies on statistics, and since each featured action is consistently defined using the same method, it is valuable to review a summary of each team's action types. The Highlights action summary details the total count of each condition observed in the featured actions for each team.
Highlights Stars
This table lists the total number of stars assigned to each player who received at least two stars overall, considering all highlights featured on the page.
Avoiding Pitfalls
The Highlights stars table should not be interpreted as a definitive evaluation of each player's overall performance because:
- The selection of highlights itself is inherently subjective.
- A player who didn't score but missed four chances might accumulate more highlight stars than a player who participated in only one action and scored a goal, as the ranking primarily reflects how often a player was involved in highlights.
- Highlights typically focus on events occurring in or around the penalty area. A significant portion of match action, including building up or mitigating offensive plays, receives less visibility yet significantly influences a game by determining the volume of goal chances each team faces, both offensively and defensively. Players' involvement in these less visible phases may be underrepresented in this type of ranking.
