Team Charts

the two charts below are complementary. the first shows how many shots teams in the nwsl are taking and allowing. the second shows expected goals (xG if you're cool). why do we use xG so damn much? fair question!

while shot volume is great, i bet you've actually watched a game before — including games where that one player you loathe boots shots from 40 yards out instead of, i dunno, passing to the player you really like? right. that's the point of xG — it takes into account shot quality.

here's a hint: the best teams are at the bottom right of these charts. the worst teams are at the top left. the most exciting teams? they live in the top right ... and god help the boring bums in the bottom left.

with only two games left in the NWSL regular season, i've calculated the remaining strength of schedule for all 12 teams based on their opponent's expected goal differential (xGD, nerds) and put that on a table alongside their points and games remaining. it looks like it's down to Angel City and Chicago battling it out for the final playoff spot, though it's tight enough that Kansas City and Houston could be drawn back into the fray.