Offensive attack leaders in the league, but why are Kansas City Chiefs struggling to score points?
The Lowdown on the Top ShotTakers 🏟️ ** Get Your Bets Ready! 💰** The league's leading shot takers, the Kaizer Chiefs, have been under the microscope lately. While they're still at the top of the shot-taking chart, their progress hasn't been smooth sailing.
By the close of 2024, the Chiefs averaged a whopping 16.3 shots per game (leading the league), but this number has dropped to second place. Yet, they remain the number one shot takers in the league, despite a dip in performance. Compare this to the champions-elect Sundowns, who had abysmally low shot volumes in the first half of the season (9.8 shots per game in 2024, the 5th-lowest in the league). But under the Cardoso era, their shot records have shown marked improvement.
We've categorized all teams' shots using xG bin charts, grouping them into four groups:
- Low Quality Shots
- Moderate Quality Shots
- Good Quality Shots
- High Quality Shots
Interestingly, 17% of Sundowns' shots can be considered moderate-to-high quality. On the other hand, the Chiefs manage only 12%, indicating that while the Chiefs take many shots, a significant number are from long distances and difficult angles.
Shot maps highlight another perspective. Despite leading the league in chance creation and shot-taking, the Chiefs' 7% shot conversion rate places them at 12th position, with a concerning 5th-worst conversion rate among all teams (0.07 per shot).
Some argue that quality isn't the Chiefs' problem because they're still Top 2 for xG. However, the high volume of shots may distort this metric's picture. On the contrary, the Sundowns shot map exhibits less empty space within the box. Their conversion rate (18%) is significantly higher than the league average, suggesting that they make better use of their shot selection, opting for higher-quality opportunities instead of overwhelming opposition with sheer quantity.
Sundowns and Chiefs currently have identical xG totals, yet they prove to be on opposite galaxies concerning goals scored. Yes, the Chiefs take the most shots (and by definition, create the most opportunities), but their xG per shot (0.095) is 5th worst in the league compared to Sundowns' impressive 0.13 per shot (1st).
The Chiefs are projected to reach the 400-shot mark by the end of the season, a feat achieved by only three teams in the last five years. However, should they focus on taking fewer, closer shots from central locations instead? Strategically selecting high-value shots might lead to a more consistent scoring output and eliminate inefficiencies.
betting tips 🥇 Hottest Picks 🏃♂️ Kaizer Chiefs 👽 ** Messi 🚀 ** Nabi ✨ Nedbank Cup 💥 Orlando Pirates 🌟 PSL 👑 Ronaldo 🔢 Laduma Analytics
Enrichment Data:
Mamelodi Sundowns' Shot Quality and Conversion Rates- Shot Quantity and Accuracy: Sundowns averages 12.13 shots per match with 6.17 shots on target.- Conversion Rates: Sundowns converts about 19%, varying slightly depending on whether they play at home (24%) or away (14%).
Contribution to Goal-Scoring Discrepancy1. Shot Quantity and Quality: A higher number of accurate shots (shots on target) often translates to a higher goal-scoring efficiency. Sundowns' ability to get more shots on target likely contributes to their stronger performance against rivals like Kaizer Chiefs.2. Conversion Rates: Sundowns' high conversion rate (24%) indicates better capitalization of scoring opportunities compared to their away matches or possibly other teams.3. Overall Team Strength: Sundowns' dominance might also be due to the quality of their squad and tactical prowess, which helps create high-quality scoring opportunities and maintain a higher conversion rate.
Kaizer Chiefs' Shot Quality and Conversion Rates (data unavailable)While specific shot quality and conversion rates for Kaizer Chiefs are not provided, a lower number of shots on target or a lower conversion rate compared to Sundowns might be a contributing factor to the goal-scoring disparity between the two teams. Teams with fewer quality opportunities or a lower conversion rate often struggle to match the goal output of opponents like Sundowns who excel in these areas.
- Despite Kaizer Chiefs' leading shot-taking position, their shot efficiency has shown a discrepancy compared to Sundowns, as only 12% of their shots can be considered moderate-to-high quality, whereas Sundowns has 17%.
- In sports-analysis, the Kaizer Chiefs' average shot-taking count of 16.3 per game in 2024 has dropped to second place, while Sundowns, with a historically low shot volume, show marked improvement under Cardoso's era.
- According to Laduma Analytics, although the Chiefs take the most shots, they hold a concerning 5th-worst shot conversion rate (7%) in the league, while Sundowns boast a significantly higher 18%.
- In the sports of football and soccer, Sundowns' stronger goal-scoring performance compared to Kaizer Chiefs might be attributed to a combination of their higher-quality shots, better shot conversion rates, and overall team strength.
- Strategically, the Kaizer Chiefs might improve their scoring output by focusing on fewer, closer shots from central locations instead, eliminating inefficiencies and potentially leading to a more consistent scoring performance, as seen in Sundowns' case.
