Over the last month, much of this analytical space has been devoted to Thorns FC’s attack, explaining why underlying numbers like shots, shots on target, passes and final third entries said Portland’s attack was fine, even if the team wasn’t getting on the scoreboard as much as they’d want.
For fans of bottom lines, that may seem like a paradox. After all, how can an attack be good if it’s not accomplishing the end goal? But as research has shown and time has borne out, given enough games, the vast majority of teams tend to produce goals in proportion to the quality and quantity of their chances.