Post-match: Still Streaking - MLS MATCHDAY 22 CREW @ ARCA UNITED SAT JULY 30TH 700PM (CHARLOTTE FC)

If name recognition won games, this might mean something.

 

I've been saying for a while that Nagbe would be a much better player if pass completion percentage was just not a stat that anyone paid attention to. He's certainly capable of making those 60% passes, we've all seen him do it. He just plays the way I do on FIFA career mode when my match objectives all involve completing passes and not scoring goals.

Does Nagbe choose to play this way to protect his stats and reputation? Is he being instructed to because it's Porter's system? I don't know, but since Porter is likely gone at the end of the year (barring a deep playoff run) while we probably don't have many options but to bring Nagbe back, I certainly hope it's the latter.

 

Yes, verticality is a word. Welcome to the English language and modern soccer analysis and vocabulary.

Speaking of shitposting, look at those all star squads, they’re a joke. Let’s compare the numbers of our all star Nagbe to the two bums who make more than him, Zelarayan and Cucho.

General stats

Nagbe: 33 games, 3 goals, 0 assists
Lucas: 28 games, 10 goals, 6 assists
Cucho: 15 games, 9 goals, 2 assists

Passing direction:

(Forward = F, Sideways = S, Backwards = B)

Nagbe: 20.5% F, 65.2% S, 14.3% B
Lucas: 33.4% F, 49.1% S, 17.5% B
Cucho: 26.1% F, 53.2% S, 20.7% B

And before someone jumps in and says ‘oh look they pass backwards more than nagbe!!’ well yeah no shit, they are in the penalty area, hard to constantly pass forward. So let’s compare Nagbe to the other CMs.

Nagbe: 20.5% F, 65.2% S, 14.3% B
Morris: 22.1% F, 58.8% S, 19.1% B
Artur: 22.5% F, 63.0% S, 14.5% B
Iggy: 30.2% F, 55.6% S, 14.3% B
Zawadzki: 33.8% F, 50.4% S, 15.8% B

Our lone all star, our most offensive CM, our third highest paid player, our midfield engine, passes forward less than literally every other CM on the team. Including freaking Sean Zawadzki, a youth academy player who played his first few pro games this year. I mean, come on.

Now, I know what some will say, ‘yeah, ok, the meme of him not passing forward is true, but that’s because he’s always carrying the ball forward’. OK, let’s look at that. To save on the walls of text:

Progressive (forward) carries per 90: Nagbe is 7th (behind the front four and two full backs).

Total carries per 90: Nagbe is 3rd behind Zelarayan and Molino.

Let’s compare the ratio of times a player carries the ball in any direction vs carries forward.

% of carries that are progressive (forward):

1) Diaz - 19.2%
2) Etienne - 18.7%
3) Cucho - 16.3%
4) Yeboah - 15.8%
5) Zelarayan - 15.3%
6) Santos - 14.5%
7) Moreira - 13.6%
8) Sands - 12.8%
9) Nagbe - 12.2%
10) Iggy - 11.4%
11) Molino - 8.5%
12) Morris - 8.2%
13) Hurtado - 7.3%
14) Degenek - 6.9%
15) Zawadzki - 6.2%

I could very easily make the argument that if Morris was playing with Artur, then he would have as high a ratio as Nagbe does, since he would then be the main ball mover.

Can anyone point to a single stat that demonstrates why Nagbe is paid nearly $2 million per season? Why he is untouchable? Why do people act like he’s a god?

Let’s not forget, we won the MLS Cup final in 2020 without Nagbe. Everyone said we’d crumble and get embarrassed, and quite literally the exact opposite happened.

Nagbe is a good player, a good one dimensional player who fits particular systems. He’s limited, this is not a hot take. He’s overpaid, not a hot take.

 

Mo Farsi is here for this game and Rowe played the full 90. Maybe flying later or farsi is injured