smarterscout: The Why in Analytics
Dan Altman, creator of smarterscout, discusses the big issues underlying football/soccer analytics and sports analytics in general. Dan asks why we use data, why we measure the things we do, and why we choose certain analytical methods out of the many tools available. Drawing on his experience working with clubs in the Premier League, Major League Soccer, and other competitions around the world – as well as USA Olympic teams – Dan gets to the core of the questions every analyst faces.
smarterscout: The Why in Analytics
Rating players with expected goals from shot creation
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smarterscout
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Season 1
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Episode 4
Breaking down goal difference into its component parts shows how expected goals from shot creation – the chance of scoring for each shot, estimated from historical data – can be the foundation for a model of the game. Dan explains how this model can be used to rate both attacking and defending, then considers the judgment calls implicit in using this kind of model to evaluate players.
Intro: "Crackle & Pop" by Digital Primitives
Outro: "No Holiday" by Digital Primitives