The value of the difference in the ability to generate and take chances of an exceptional attacker versus an average attacker is much greater than the value of the difference between an exceptional and an average finisher.
That's nice. But we're dealing a specific player, not a datapoint, who has demonstrated exceptional finishing. And he has demonstrated chance creation ability that leads to exception conversion rates. We'll see what he does in his next stop.
Over the long term the xG numbers pretty much line up for everyone in terms of goals. Except for Messi who has massively over-performed his xG numbers over the years. But that’s why Messi is Messi.
Yea even the greatest finishing outlier ever produces more additional value from his outlier ability to get onto chances than he does purely from finishing. The specific player we are talking about will not come close to breaking from that.
The number of guys with meaningfully exceptional finishing is tiny. Malik has nowhere near enough reps to put him in that category. The Americans with the best argument for maybe being special finishers are Ferreira and Pepi and we saw Pepi miss great chances at Copa and this year Ferreira isn’t even taking any shots. Getting lots of good shots is the best way to score goals. It’s not even controversial.
🇺🇸🚨 | Noahkai Banks ('06) is back on the Augsburg bench today for the last match of the season after missing the previous three matches with a thigh injury.#usmnt https://t.co/mRLMhF76OT pic.twitter.com/iFnyotVqVN— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) May 17, 2025
Gio got the last 10 minutes in a rare run out, which could be his swan song with Dortmund. After all that, BVB still made the Champion's League.
Thats another amazing rally, Dortmund were so far out of the champions league, but they managed to salvage it. I dont imagine this will have Gio implications (I think we all hope not), but hopefully it has Cole Campbell implications
Remarkably PSV lost three of their best players and they were Americans. There's an argument that any of them coming back would have greatly helped and Tillman came back first. They would have runaway with the league again had all three remained healthy. Pepi is the lost one because he hasn't come back yet but he turning into a real beast and whichever player (Tillman or Pepi) a team concentrated on would leave the other free to torture. PSV also has a lot of talent besides the Americans and they would also look better with a full squad of healthy players.
Tillman is a CM so if we are going to use stats to quantify his performances use stats that are applicable; Include 2-way stats. Why anyone would focus on xG is beyond me. Good breakdown on what Tillman brings to the table: Tillman combines his strong physique with quick cutting movements and good acceleration with the ball, which allows him to cover a lot of distance and often allows PSV to approach the opponent's penalty area via him. Of all PSV players, only Johan Bakayoko (42) has recorded more successful dribbles this Eredivisie season than Tillman (35). At least as important as his creativity on the ball is Tillman's defensive insight. In Bosz's pressing football, the American is almost indispensable. On average per ninety minutes this Eredivisie season, only Almere City striker Charles-Andreas Brym wins more balls in the highest zone of the field than Tillman. https://www.espn.nl/voetbal/artikel...ten-tillman-en-dest-psv-veel-beter-voetballen
PSV are so dominant and attacking that they often play with two AMs in their 433, like City did with KDB and Silva. Tillman forcing so many high turnovers, only bested by a ST, is just more evidence of this.
Arminia Bielefeld captain Mael Corboz 🇺🇸 lifting the 3. Liga trophy and his Player of the Season trophy. Next up, the DFB Pokal final against Stuttgart next week. pic.twitter.com/CtexUwgTsW— American Ultras Talk (@usmntaut) May 17, 2025
Richards and company currently playing the FA Cup final. Now this, is a photo 🤌#CPFC pic.twitter.com/YVUEI9xeyN— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 17, 2025
Much more important to that is Dest, who by breaking down the first (and many times second) line, scrambles the other team’s formation such that opportunities spring up from every blade of grass on the field. I first saw this with Dest when he played with the US U-20’s in the World Cup. I believe I commented on that here at the time, that the defenders were the obvious strength of the team and reason for their successes.
Tillman npxG+xA/90: .61 this season in the league .73 career for PSV in the league .32 this season in CL .25 career for PSV in CL 48% decline this season from league to CL 66% decline from league to CL with PSV Saibari npxG+xA/90: .78 this season in the league .76 career for PSV in the league .60 this season in CL .61 career for PSV in CL 23% decline this season from league to CL 20% decline from league to CL with PSV
Tillman was playing deeper in those matches because Schouten was out. Schouten didn’t play in 4 Champions League group matches.
Richards was outstanding today. 7.3 Fotmob 4 blocks 12 clearances 7 headed clearances 3 throw-ins into the City 6 yard box one of which led to a disallowed goal.
It was a 3 game stretch (2 in the league 1 in the CL) that ended with the disastrous Ajax performance after which the manager came out and said they wouldn’t try it again.