2025 nwsl week 20: xG race charts & g+ pass networks

These are delayed but for a good reason. Firstly, the very talented Catalina Bush, who recently dropped this extremely handy little gem, has been working on some updates for me.

Because I often talk about shot quality, and spotlight shots at or above average, future xG race charts are going to feature a sidebar listing those chances. I’m super excited about it, and thought it might be ready for this week but not yet. It’s coming soon though, so stay tuned.

the explainer

The xG charts are straightforward, but the pass networks include custom data from American Soccer Analysis in order to spotlight passing and receiving impact. These are measured using ASA’s goals added (g+) metric, which calculates how much each touch—in this case passing & receiving—changes their team’s chances of scoring and conceding across two possessions.

(If you want to fully nerd out, here’s a deep dive into the methodology of g+.)

• Player bubble position: Average passing position

• Player bubble size: Passes attempted

• Player bubble color: Passing g+ rating

  • Passing g+: Pass value added (according to xPass)

• Ring color: Receiving g+ rating

  • Receiving g+: Pass value added through reception

• Lines: Pass volume between players

week 20

Ngl I kinda love that the league gaslit Jonas Eidevall into thinking he was a genius again. This is San Diego’s sixth scoreless game in their last eight, and in this one he can’t even point to poor finishing, because .88 xG is stinky.

san diego wavé

There’s width but it’s not high enough to stretch the defense, especially with everyone else stacked centrally. It’s a bit surprising given that getting the ball wide and cutting in was their bread and butter earlier in the season, but I guess you gotta try something. Maybe not this again though.

gotham fc

Gotham managed this game superbly well, and are showing glimpses of becoming the suffocating team they were in 2023. Gotham scored before halftime then came out for the second half and didn’t allow San Diego a single shot until second half stoppage time. Diabolical.

Teams trading goals from .1 xG in the first twenty minutes is very fun and funny, but then both reverted to their usual selves and struggled to get the ball in the net again, until Sveindís’ winner. There aren’t many players who have needed a goal more than Jonsdottír, and you can see it in her reaction.

north carolina courage

The attacking third is lava.

angel city

I know Straus is primarily focusing on Angel City’s defense but the in-possession work has been odd. I get wanting players to be closer together but there are still roles to be played to ensure you aren’t just passing the ball around in triangles but creating shooting opportunities.

Jacquie Ovalle dropped her first goal contribution courtesy of a dope cross to Ally Watt, but it still might be panic button smashing time for Orlando.

orlando pride

A defense-first coach having to readjust late in the season without the team’s superstar attacker was always going to be tricky, and need time. But the center backs are quite deep, leaving tons of space to play into if the ball is turned over.

bay fc

The real worrying thing for the Pride is that Bay FC didn’t really do anything special, but the gap between defense and midfield made direct connections into the final third quite easy, particularly in the Kundananji Corridor™️.

The ASA model highly valued some in-box transition shots the Current created. While they were scary, and it would not have been surprising to see the match end 1-0 in their favor, Kansas City’s primary goal was stopping the Spirit from creating anything dangerous. Washington’s .48 xG shows they succeeded.

kansas city current

Without Chawinga against the #2 team in the league Vlatko was able to revert to his truest form: defense-first (second and also third) footballing demon.

washington spirit

The Spirit will be frustrated that they weren’t able to create at least one quality chance. Against top teams the margin is usually that little bit of clinical finishing, but the Spirit didn’t get that far.

Chicago has high key become one of the most fun teams to watch. As soon as Portland scored we all knew the Tsars had them right where they wanted them. They tell me this is the same Chicago team from the first half of the season but I refuse to believe it.

chicago tsars

Ludmila and Jameese Joseph being the only players with positive receiving g+ tells you everything you need to know about Chicago’s gameplan in possession.

portland thorns

We got a roaming Sam Coffey, which was fun, but it forced Jessie Fleming into an unfamiliar lone defensive midfield role, and led to negative value passing and receiving g+. Rob Gale’s addiction to raise my rent football must be studied.

This is now the second season in a row in which Utah spends the first half of the season being tremendously unserious before somehow flipping a switch to look like a completely different team in the second half. Though last season it took a coaching change and recruitment to increase the overall talent level, this time the coach is the same and, largely, the players are too. Shoutout to work/life balance I guess.

utah royals

Houston want to keep things nice and compact and Utah said ok fine what if we just spread you all the way out what then?

houston dash

And Houston had no answer.

Just sending all good vibes to Savannah DeMelo.

seattle reign

rahsing louisville

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