Yo, listen up fellas, I know some of you tough guys out there are having a hard time swallowing the stats on Riqui Puig (@RiquiPuig). Well, sit down, grab a cold one, and let me break it down for ya.
Disclaimer: This one ain't for cheerleaders! Don't say I didn't warn ya!
Disclaimer: This one ain't for cheerleaders! Don't say I didn't warn ya!
Before we dive into the stats, let's get our terminology straight. We'll be looking at per 90 stats, which means we'll be evaluating a player's performance over a full 90 minutes of play.
Now, it's worth noting that MLS tends to use different words than the European leagues, which can be a bit confusing. That's why we're gonna use Fbref for consistency. This way, we'll all be on the same page when we're talking
Let's talk accurate long balls per 90. According to the original tweeter, Puig's got 8.9. In fact, this season he's been completing 9.25 accurate long balls per 90, and that's in just 8 starts. And get this, during his time at Galaxy last season, he made 6.3 in 9 starts.
Here are the long ball stats over the years:
Barca Setien: 4.74
Barca Koeman: 7.81
Barca Xavi: 5.93
Galaxy 1st season: 6.30
Galaxy 2nd season: 9.25
Barca Setien: 4.74
Barca Koeman: 7.81
Barca Xavi: 5.93
Galaxy 1st season: 6.30
Galaxy 2nd season: 9.25
Now, let's put those numbers in context and compare them to the 'king' Pedri. It's always good to have some healthy competition, right?"
Pedri's numbers:
Barca Koeman: 3.69
Barca Xavi: 5.82
Barca Xavi 2nd season: 7.66
Puig isn't doing it in the MLS, he did it in La Liga too.
Pedri's numbers:
Barca Koeman: 3.69
Barca Xavi: 5.82
Barca Xavi 2nd season: 7.66
Puig isn't doing it in the MLS, he did it in La Liga too.
The next stats these guy talked about was key passes. Let's make it exciting and throw Messi into the mix. Here are the numbers:
Messi (Setien): 2.75
Puig: 1.75
Messi (Koeman): 2.29
Pedri: 1.46
Puig: 1.56
Messi (PSG): 2.64
Pedri (Xavi): 1.53
Puig (Galaxy): 1.96
Not bad, eh?
Messi (Setien): 2.75
Puig: 1.75
Messi (Koeman): 2.29
Pedri: 1.46
Puig: 1.56
Messi (PSG): 2.64
Pedri (Xavi): 1.53
Puig (Galaxy): 1.96
Not bad, eh?
But what was actually being talked about was passes into the final third. Let's take a look!
Messi (Setien): 7.13
Puig: 7.02
Messi (Koeman): 7.32
Pedri: 4.07
Puig: 8.44
Messi (PSG): 9.08
Pedri: 5.82
Puig: 7.72
Messi (this season): 7.25
Pedri: 6.90
Puig: 10.6
Messi (Setien): 7.13
Puig: 7.02
Messi (Koeman): 7.32
Pedri: 4.07
Puig: 8.44
Messi (PSG): 9.08
Pedri: 5.82
Puig: 7.72
Messi (this season): 7.25
Pedri: 6.90
Puig: 10.6
Just to be clear, this isn't about comparing players. It's crazy to compare anyone to Messi. The point here is to give you a real picture of the stats without any bias. Every player brings different attributes, and where you're playing on the pitch can have a big impact on stats.
But, it was definitely about b*stin' your m*mma's b*lls. So let's see them tears in the comments.
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