This is one of the positions I was looking forward to the most, and the data did not disappoint. Left sided players, if they’re clever and skillful enough, can find themselves in key areas to pick out tremendously difficult routes to goal to defend.

Whether it’s whipping the ball in from angles goalkeepers hate, sneaking back post to line up a wicked volley or snaking through defenders to create dangerous passing lanes, elite left sided players are a mf’n problem.

Before I get into it though, I must pay respects to Izzy Rodriguez. I set the minimum minutes played limit to 1500, a number Rodriguez was 55 minutes from hitting. Had she, she would’ve been near the top of the list. While it sounds harsh to leave her out, if she would’ve achieved 1500 minutes, she still would’ve been hundreds behind everyone else (the lowest total was 1853), which felt unfair in the long run.

Anyway, sorry Izzy, let’s release the left backs!

Pass .23 | Dribble & Carry .07 | Defensive Action -0.07

Feel like the numbers above tell you all you need to know. Klingenberg struggled to impact the match defensively, and tbh, at -.07, if we’re being our most honest selves she was a bit of a liability.

However, she made up for it with a tremendously high Pass OBV per 90.

Klingenberg dropped 38 key passes (passes leading to a shot), for a cumulative xG of 3.27 (.09xG/shot), and leading to three goals. Two were open play passes across and into the box that led to high percentage chances, and the deep assist was a pinged ball from a free kick to Sophia Smith, who proceeded to do Sophia Smith things.

Defensively, Klingenberg was tied at the bottom of Tack/DP% (61%), which tracks the percentage of times a player makes a tackle when going into a duel versus being dribbled past. She also won just 48% of her aerial duels. Portland could accept this risk as they were one of the top teams at maintaining possession.

Ah yes, the shot map.

(That really high xG chance that was saved goes back to a thing we learned when we looked at goalkeepers. Abby Smith saved this shot, which registered a post shot xG of .68!)

Pass .15 | Dribble & Carry .04 | Defensive Action 0.07

Unlike Klingenberg, Barnes doesn’t have one area that jumps out. The Pass OBV is high, but not outrageous, the Dribble & Carry OBV is fairly small which suggests she was a safe enough outlet but wasn’t too adventurous, and the Defensive Action OBV is solid.

Basically, Barnes was a well-rounded left back who didn’t take too many risks, didn’t commit fouls and didn’t turn the ball over. Barnes’ Tack/DP% was only five above Klingenberg’s (66), which helped her number, it was likely her important to the Reign’s press and counterpress that helped increase her Defensive Action OBV.

Barnes had the fourth highest amount of Aggressive Actions per 90 (tackles, pressures and fouls recorded within two seconds of an opposition player receiving the ball). She was also top 3 in counterpressure regains per 90 (.37), which measures the times a player’s team wins possession within five seconds of the player counterpressing.

Real hard hat classic fullback hours with Lu Barnes.

Pass .23 | Dribble & Carry .07 | Defensive Action 0.0

Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. A .23 Pass OBV is the good shit. Given how fun Jenna Nighswonger was to watch at Florida State when she played as an attacking midfielder, I was super extremely annoyed when she was being converted to left back.

I didn’t really care that she would invert, or that at times there’s enough positional fluidity that she’d end up in good spaces anyway. I am traumatized by what has been done to Crystal Dunn and get frustrated when great central attacking midfielders get pushed wide and to the backline.

Having said all of this, Juan Carlos Amorós, I was wrong. Thank you for your service, sir. I humbly suspend my #FreeTheNighswonger campaign indefinitely.

Unfortunately there are no red lines in that graphic, but I place the fault on Nighswonger’s teammates more than her. Look at all those precious yellow, orange and red medium-to-high xG chances near the six yard box. The numbers bear it out too, her 28 passes totaled 2.69xG, at an average of .10xG per shot – which is quite the feat for a rookie transitioning to an entirely new line and position.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re glaring at the top right of the pitch and saying well hold on, that looks like a lot of corners, surely that’s where the bulk of these chances are coming from. Reader, I love you, but no.

Six passes drop off, but the cumulative xG remains high at 2.08, with the xG per shot only dipping to .09. Also, there’s still plenty of yellow and orange still hanging out around the six yard box.

There’s of course room for improvement in some areas. Her defensive output was just barely good enough to avoid dipping into negative numbers, and was likely helped out in this regard by the impressive high-energy pressing structures Amorós’ was able to implement at Gotham.

Nighswonger was last in aerial win percentage (27%, yikes) and was one of only four left backs with 1500 minutes played to post a dribbled past number of over 1.0 per 90. However, she was second in possession adjusted (PAdj) tackles & interceptions per 90 (4.38), and led all left backs in PAdj pressures with 19.2(!) per 90 – over 1.5 more than second place, and 4.7 above third.

If Nighswonger can continue adjusting to the position and develop her 1v1 defensive skills, Amorós will have done U.S. Soccer an incredible, unexpected, and massive favor.

Pass .12 | Dribble & Carry .09 | Defensive Action 0.10

Ok this is dope. Chris Petrucelli was wildin and basically played Krueger all over the back line, but her most frequent position happened to be left back for some reason. As we can see, she definitely balled out, but her Defensive Action number is probably somewhat inflated from a typical fullback’s given the 6.6 90s she played at right center back.

Still, she had to do plenty of defending along the left flank as well, and it’s an area where Krueger is one of the best in the league, if not world.

One does not simply dribble past Casey Krueger. You must first complete a riddle and finish top three in a decathlon while solving a rubik’s cube, and then and only then will she consider not taking the ball from you, out of respect. Overall, Krueger posted one of the lowest dribbled past numbers in the whole league, at .28 per 90. Even if we include center backs, that number is better than 2023 NWSL Defender of the Year, Naomi Girma’s (.31).

And keep in mind, Chicago was not a good team last year. They allowed a nearly historic amount of goals, and most opposition was able to carve them open – apart from Krueger.

Given Chicago’s issues, and the many positions Krueger played, she found herself having to focus on defending rather than contributing to the attack, or pinned into her own half by the opposition. Still, she managed some pretty respectable shot creation numbers.

Pass .19 | Dribble & Carry .09 | Defensive Action 0.07

Remember when Vlatko made Carson Pickett fly across an ocean then start and play 60+ minutes versus Spain. Pepperidge Farm remembers. Anyway, I bring this up to note that it’s unfortunate that Pickett didn’t get the chances and opportunities she deserved with the national team.

This is about as well-rounded as it gets. It’s not the extravagant Passing OBV of Nighswonger, but it’s not far behind. It’s not the dominant Defensive Action OBV of Krueger, but it’s not far behind. And at .09, she’s tied for the highest Dribble & Carry OBV per 90 of the group.

The thing that stands out to me about Pickett is her work rate. She stays super wide, but spends a ton of time in an advanced area while still tending to defensive duties in her own half. Pickett also leads all left backs in deep progressions (passes, dribbles or carries into the opposition’s final third), with 5.66 per 90.

While her key passes chart doesn’t stand out, it’s shows selective passing and from a variety of positions. The neat thing about Pickett isn’t always her final ball. While she can pinpoint passes that lead to shots, and her 2.52 cumulative xG at .08 per shot shows she’s creating decent chances, Pickett’s strong suit lies in getting into the ball to the final third.

Pickett led all left backs in successful passes into the box from outside of the box in open play, with 1.32 per 90. She was also second in through balls, defined as passes the break a defensive line for a teammate to run onto, with .14 per 90. Pickett was also second in deep completions, passes completed with 20 meters (~22 yards) of the opposition’s goal, at .38 per 90.

Pickett is one of the reasons I’m enjoying diving into these numbers with StatsBomb. It would be normal to assume that Pickett’s value is in her crossing ability. And while that is true, it goes deeper than that. She has a unique ability to establish herself in the opposition’s half while also maintaining an impact through defensive action. Her passing is also much more varied, often helping her team advance the ball into the final third through deep and accurate completed passes.

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