STATS CORNER | Outperforming Expectations

Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Trevor Ruszkowski

The Championship, the NASL's four-team postseason tournament is right around the corner with one more weekend in the Fall Season left to play. Indy Eleven and the New York Cosmos will host semifinal games and one of the reasons why is down to the number of goals scored, while FC Edmonton, which will also play in the postseason, has excelled in the defense. 

Opta has run its expected goals model to take a look at some of the standout performances in the attacking and defensive end: 

Goalscoring

In 2016, New York's Juan Arango has showcased why he's nicknamed Arangol, excelling in his finishing ability. Taking into account several characteristics of his attempts such as shot location, pattern of play, and the goalkeeper's position, Arango scored 4.7 goals above the average output in those situations. The Venezuelan star has been the catalyst for the Cosmos, mainly down to his conversion of chances.  

While New York has set a record for most goals scored in an NASL season to date (58), it has been Indy Eleven that has exceeded its attacking average the greatest. Minnesota United, on the other hand, which set a record for most goals last year, slightly underperformed in the attack in 2016. 

Assisting The Play

Carolina RailHawks midfielder Nazmi Albadawi has set an NASL record with 10 assists over the course of the year and it's easy to see why. Taken into account the quality of chances created by his key passes, Albadawi tallied four more assists than average expectations. Credit certainly goes to Albadawi's teammates for finishing off the chances, but the RailHawks captain has been the offensive spark. Another interesting note is Miami FC defender Johnny Borrajo and his effectiveness getting into the attack.  .  

Defending The Goal

FC Edmonton has had a stellar campaign at the back, showcased by the prevention of 12.6 goals that a team would give up on average due to the opponents' chances. With goalkeeper Matt VanOekel having a record-setting year for shutouts (16) and goals against average (0.55), it becomes clear why the Eddies were so effective at keeping their opponents from scoring.