“Is the Women’s World Cup the most penalty-ish tournament ever?” asks Thomas Levine. “Either in terms of percent of desires? Or percent of desires which effect on the result – which reduces the distorting effect of Thailand thumping a bit.”
Unfortunately, the Knowledge hasn’t got the budget to afford a team of statisticians large enough to glance through end result-affecting penalties at first tournaments, Thomas. We’re going to simplify this via sticking to World Cups (men’s and ladies), mainly so because the two most recent (France 2019 and Russia 2018) were played inside the technology of VAR. If we look at Brazil 2014, eleven of the 167 desires scored inside the 64 games played were penalties. This works out at just 6.6%.
Four years later, at Russia 2018, of the 169 goals scored, 22 had been penalties, a miles higher parent of 13.02%. The clampdown on pushing and pulling on corners changed into possibly as much power on sentences are given as VAR was in that specific event. Interestingly, even though the Women’s World Cup in 2015 – in which VAR changed into now, not in use – the percentage of desires from consequences became 12.32% (18 of 146 attractions), which seems pretty high for a non-VAR event.
So, fast-ahead to France 2019, and of the one hundred forty goals scored thus far, 17 had been penalties, which matches out at a discern of 12.14%, directly down on Canada 2015 and Russia 2018. There are nonetheless three fits to play, although, so if VAR continues to be called on while arms are deemed to were in unnatural positions, this can alternate. The highest percent from World Cups before 2014 that we could locate was eight.8% at Germany 2006, in which 13 of the 147 dreams scored got here from the spot.
Playing in the most derbies (revisited)
Last week’s Knowledge archive section targeted gamers who have been worried within the maximum same-metropolis derbies. Quite a few of you talked about Richard Gough’s need to have two derbies revoked (Derby-Forest) and San José v Los Angeles Galaxy. “They’re extra than 300 miles aside. That’s the same as London to Cologne,” writes Chris Taylor. If we stick strictly to those guidelines, Paul Stewart loses derbies (Sunderland-Newcastle and West Brom-Wolves), taking him to four. In contrast, Christian Ziege loses one (Newcastle-Sunderland), transferring him back to five. So, purely specializing in same-city derbies, Liam Patrick Corbett has a brand new leader within the category. “The Brazilian Ronaldo (who definitely could be the best of all time, however for the accidents) played inside the five below:”
1) For Cruzeiro v Atletico Mineiro (City: Belo Horizonte)
2) For Barcelona v Espanyol
3) For Internazionale v Milan and Milan v Internazionale
4) For Real Madrid v Atlético Madrid
5) For Corinthians v Palmeiras
“That’s without counting El Clasíco (as a non-same metropolis). I also accept as true that he scored in a maximum of these too. I can’t discover a report of him gambling in the Eindhoven derby v FC Eindhoven as they had been in one-of-a-kind leagues during his time in Holland, so probably now not except they met inside the cup.”
Captains with roles reversed (2)“I virtually can’t be the simplest one to point out this case from the continuing Women’s World Cup. France’s captain is the exceptional Amandine Henry. Her membership group is Lyon, which just so occurs to be led out in suits by using her fellow French worldwide, the peerless Wendie Renard,” writes Aditya Narayanan.
