Even when your ass rocketed past the outstretched arms of the keeper and into the goal?
Goals is basically the only metric that’s been consistently recorded for the history of soccer. Assists have been recorded for quite a while, but not forever. Rooney would probably be better in a G+A count since he was very active across the field while Muller was a poacher, but it still wouldn’t be close.
Analytics in soccer is still pretty nascent. In the past 5-10 years you’ve seen things like xG (“expected goals” - how many goals an average player would score given the same opportunities) and derivatives like xA, xGchain, etc. However there isn’t anything close to WAR that encapsulates a player. Not even the offensive contribution of a player. Something like (nPG + xA)/90 would be good if you could normalize for player utilization and team play-style, but the stats guys aren’t there yet. You also have pass completion %, tackles won, tackling %, lots of different metrics about advancing the ball up the field, but like 95% of the stats are goals and assists.
The differences between tiers is more of a gradual, uneven curve. Though differences are often pronounced in European leagues because the countries themselves are a fraction of the USA’s size. Bournemouth and Luton Town play in the top level with grounds seating fewer than 12,000 and Eibar played in La Liga for seven or eight years with a home stadium seating just over 8,000.
This season there are thousands of clubs fighting for promotion and it matters to all of their fans.
One of the strongest factors in big clubs backing away from the Super League was fan resentment that most of the clubs were exempt from relegation. Euro fans are like me – we believe you should earn your place and defend it on the field instead of being in a protective cartel.
Sure. But we’re talking about Wayne Rooney. Goal scoring was his primary job.
Ah yes, I forgot about the proposed Super League. Highly resented because it would protect the biggest teams and no one else would ever get a sniff. VERY unpopular.
Eh… “earn your place” tends to end up meaning who can get the biggest sugar daddy. The amazing rise of Leicester? Bankrolled by a Thai billionaire. They ended up breaking Financial Fair Play rules in Championship to make it to the Premier League. Newcastle’s quick rise to Big 4 level? Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia.
Yes and partially this is due to the size of the country. Rival leagues merged as opposed to instituting a promotion-relegation system (AL and NL being the first, but then AAFL with the NFL and ABA with the NBA). Because there was plenty of room in the country for a big league.