What all our new soccer stats mean almost takes the fun out of it, with the arguments 2019’s numbers seed almost as abundant as the lessons to be drawn. It’s an attitude that says more about luddite views than the numbers themselves, but from a more benign point of view, there’s always fun to be had from an obscure stat or two. (Consider that an ancient StatMan proverb.)
For example, did you now that Opta, Major League Soccer’s statistics provider, breaks down defensive clearances by whether they’re headed or not? I mean, I did, but I still needed to ask, just for the flow of this paragraph.