Why Everything You Know About Soccer is Wrong
This month, I've mostly been studying and getting ready for finals, so whenever I wanted to read, I needed a book that I could pick up for a few minutes, get through some pages, and put back down easily. That's exactly what "The Numbers Game, Why Everything You Know About Soccer Is Wrong" gave me. The book was filled with many charts and infographics that made the book a quick read perfect for any spare time. In addition, the chapters were split into smaller sections for different statistics, which added to the fluidity of the book.
The book in general was formatted around facts, which were then supported by graphs which made it much easier to visualise the facts, and half a page to a page going more in-depth on the graph. The most interesting fact I learned from this book was the fact that corner kicks are essentially useless. In soccer whenever a team gets a corner kick, it's usually thought of as one of the best opportunities in a game to come away with a goal, however, according to the books, only 2-4 percent of corner kicks are a goal scored. In addition, there is no correlation between amounts of corner kicks taken and goals produced. No matter if you take 15 per game, or 1 a game, the chance of a goal coming out of any of them is the same. The book also focuses on many other aspects of the game such as player salaries, the compared effectiveness vs short passes and sending long balls, and the relationship between goals scored and conceded, and points earned. Plus, the book covers many dimensions to a single fact, for example, when the book talks about player salaries, it's not just a simple ranking based on which soccer club has the biggest payout. The book makes sure to specify what this team ranked the season before and compare their overall salary payout to the respective league's average. Also, considering the fact the book was written around 9 years ago, you can see how these statistics have gone on to shape our modern game compared to the game played in 2014 (when this book was published).
Overall, this was a well-crafted book that any soccer fan would love, and it's great for a quick read if you have some spare time. Final Rating: 8.6/10
Hello there Muhammad. I have also been studying a lot for finals lately and haven't had as much free reading time. As another supporter of the beautiful game, I think I would enjoy this book as well. I found it surprising how corner kicks don't correlate to goals but then again there are usually like 10 corner kicks in a game and the score don't change much because of them. Actually it's quite interesting how corner kicks should probably be one of the easiest set pieces to score from (as mentioned) however it is usually more complex plays such as free kicks and tiki taka which leads to goals. Anyways great book review.
ReplyDeleteGood point! but a little too much yap
DeleteGreetings Muhammad!!! Thank you for your great book review! You made some astute observations and I really enjoyed reading about some stats I never knew about.
ReplyDeleteI second all of these opinions!
DeleteHi Muhammad. This books sounds really interesting. I also haven't been able to find that much time to read recently, so I think that a book like this could be really nice. I think the statistic about corner kicks was really interesting too. I'll definitely check this book out one day.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I didn't know that about corner kicks!
DeleteAs someone who is still learning about the fundamentals of the game, I like how you explained this book in a detailed way and you were able to craft your blog very well. I'll definitely make sure to check out the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteHi Muhammad, this blog is great!
ReplyDeleteWow, that soccer book seems cool with all those graphs!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know corner kicks aren't that great in soccer!
ReplyDeleteThe insight about corner kicks is mind-blowing! Are there other strategic elements the book discusses? Like, did it cover teamwork or individual player performances?
DeleteThis book changed my view on soccer!
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite soccer team, by the way?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the average salary for a soccer player?
ReplyDeleteHow did it analyze and present this information? Was it easy to follow, or did it get too technical?
DeleteDid the book mention any surprising facts?!?!
ReplyDeleteConsidering the book is around 9 years old, did you notice any predictions or trends discussed in the book that actually shaped soccer's current state? Any surprises in hindsight?
ReplyDeleteYour rating is pretty high! What made you give it an 8.6? Are there any aspects you wished the book covered more, or was it just right?
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the book's focus on short passes versus long balls. Can you share more about the insights on these playing styles and how it affects a team's performance?
ReplyDeleteSince you mentioned the book covers many aspects of the game, were there any parts that surprised you or changed your perspective on soccer in a way you didn't expect?
ReplyDeletethis seems like a very interesting book and I would love to read it
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Muhammed, did the book explain why corner kicks are shot the way that they are since there is such a low percentage that they are actually scored?
ReplyDeleteA very cool blog post! This seems like just the kind of book I would love to read in between classes while I wait for the bell. I wonder if there is a similar but more recent book for newer and more interesting statistics. Great job!
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