GRADED: Minors league (1 & 2) UPDATED defensive/physical statistics

[Jeanious]

Hello dear defenders and welcome to your last statistics of the season. Did I fix the defensive impact model? No. Did I remove the subs from the top 10's? Also no.
Did I break my app further in other places trying to add and fix things? Yes.

I completely freestyled the most impactful defender of the season based on vibes and numbers I saw.

Average rating
Average rating provides a broad overview of our league's most consistent performers. While it doesn't always tell the full story it remains one of the best indicators of our week to week top performers. The rankings remains incredibly competitive with just 0.44 rating points separating first from tenth place.



Silver Tarandus leads the standings with an impressive 8.05 average rating and is the only one that ended the season on the 8 or higher mark. There is a small margin over Bob Berendsen and Ozzy Trent Kovács who share second place on 7.91 each, basically the same players. Jay Cue Jr. follows closely behind on 7.89 while Eden Empire IV completes the top five with 7.87, keeping the leading group closely matched.

The second half of the rankings is just as competitive. Arsène N'Goussou records 7.81 ahead of Mikko Rashford II on 7.71 while Jack Pow, Matt Stro and Hans Grudnar complete the top ten with ratings between 7.63 and 7.61. With so little separating the Minors league's highest rated players, even at the end of the season.

Attempted tackles
Attempted tackles shows us the players who are most willing to engage opponents and (attemtp to) win possession back for their team. While a high volume does not mean every challenge is successful, it does show which players are involved the most in the defensive side of the game. This statistic features one clear leader before the margins tighten throughout the remainder of the top ten.



Matt Stro leads the league with 80 attempted tackles and is the only player to reach the 80 mark this season. Scorp E. Unshark follows in second on 72 while Berit Skovgaard claims third with 69(nice). Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited sits just behind on 68 and Joe Mormor completing the top five on 66. Keeping the leading group relatively close together.

The remainder of the rankings is even more competitive. Ekon Ayo records 65 attempted tackles and is ahead of Bodhi Grizz on 64 while Vumion Stitcherson follows with 62. Silver Tarandus and Ross Bob round out the top ten with 61 attempts each, creating a tie for ninth place. With only 19 tackles separating first from tenth.

Tackles won
Winning tackles is where attempted tackles turns into positive results. Unlike attempted tackles where only volume matters, this statistic shows the players who consistently come away with the ball after a tackle and stop opposition attacks, or that wingers annoying highlight reel attempt. One player has established a clear domiating lead, the remainder of the table is packed with players separated by the smallest of margins.



Matt Stro comfortably tops the rankings with 70 tackles won and opening up a sizeable advantage over the chasing competition. Berit Skovgaard follows in second with 56 narrowly ahead of Scorp E. Unshark on 55. Joe Mormor claims fourth place with 54 while Ekon Ayo and friends complete the top five on 49 tackles won.

The battle behind the leading group could not be any closer. Jay Cue Jr., Phil Space and Bad Wolf all join Ekon Ayo on 49 tackles won creating a four way tie for fifth place. STAR SCREAM and Ross Bob complete the top ten with 48 each, leaving just a single tackle separating fifth from tenth. Matt Stro has closed this season dominating the amount of tackles won.

Tackle %
Tackle percentage measures how often players successfully win the ball when they commit to a tackle. Unlike the raw tackle totals this statistic rewards efficiency over volume and shows us the players making the most of their tackles. With percentage based statistics it is worth keeping an eye on sample size as fewer attempts can sometimes produce inflated numbers.



ROVA SUPERSUB (woopsie bots still here hehe), Eric Belmont and Turd Ferguson all share a perfect 100% tackle success rate, although the substitute bot once again benefits from a very limited sample size and probably shouldn't be stealing the spotlight, and I should maybe actually remove him, one day. Wang Zhihao leads the chasing group with an outstanding 94.1% followed closely by Emmanuel Ofusu on 93.8% and Tito Esposito with 91.3%.

The remainder of the top ten remains highly competitive. Phil Space records an fantastic 90.7% tackle success rate ahead of Eden Empire IV on exactly 90.0%. Xuxu Jang claims ninth with 89.1% and narrowly edging ahead of Bad Wolf's 89.0% to complete the rankings.

Key tackles
While every successful tackle is important in its own right, key tackles are the tackles that might change the course of a match. These are the tackles that stop promising attacks or maybe outright prevent the goal.



Szarekh King leads the league with 13 key tackles and narrowly edging ahead of Jean Girard who sits just behind on 12. Eric Duic, Resetti Moretti and Austin Morley all share third place with 11 creating a tightly packed chasing group just two tackles behind the leader.

The competition remains just as close through the remainder of the rankings. Damian DeSoto and Van Jertonghen both record 10 key tackles while Nick Dusk and Justin Fern share eighth place with 9. Bérangère-Amandine Bruère-Estrangin(hate your name) completes the top ten on 8. Meaning just five key tackles separate first from tenth.

Interceptions
Interceptions reward players who can read the game before any other action is even needed. Anticipating passes, cutting off attacking moves and regaining possession through positioning are all part of this statistic. This statistic is incredibly competitive with only eight interceptions separating first from tenth place.



Jay Cue Jr. tops the rankings with 51 interceptions holding a narrow advantage over Pardner Magool on 48. Bodhi Grizz claims third place with 47 while Marco Tentacles, Damian DeSoto and Bob Berendsen all share fourth on 46. The leading group is tightly packed with only five interceptions separating first from sixth.

The competition continues through the remainder of this statistic. Saphira Brightscales records 45 interceptions just ahead of Thomas Schwarte on 44 while Angry Lizard and Jakob Fensterhausen complete the top ten with 43 each. Very small margins between first and "last".

Clearances
Clearances are one of the simplest but not unimportant defensive actions in football. Whether dealing with crosses, long balls or rebounds in the box, this statistic highlights the players most frequently tasked with relieving the pressure and keep danger away from their goal. This statistic features a closely contested top before the gaps gradually begin to grow.



Mecha Zilla leads the Minors league with 62 clearances, narrowly edging ahead of Justin Fern by a single clearance. Eric Duic sits close behind on 60 making it just two clearances separating the top three. Martin Krpan and Scott MacLeod share fourth place with 57 each, while Jean Girard follows closely on 56 to keep the leading group closely matched.

The second half of the rankings begins to spread out slightly more. Szarekh King records 50 clearances just ahead of Le Chonk on 47 while Nick Kasak and STAR SCREAM complete the top ten with 46 and 44 respectively.

Mistakes leading to goals
Nobody enjoys appearing in this particular statistic, or maybe YOU do so you can prove that you've did your best in your matchfixing. Mistakes leading to goals tracks errors that directly result in the opponent scoring a goal, shocking when you read the name. While these moments can be costly, they should always be viewed in the correct context. Maybe you played on a terrible pitch and tripped, or maybe you just had an off day, or you just suck, I don't judge.



Angry Lizard, Isaiah Ali, John McDougal and Louie Duck jointly lead the table with 3 mistakes leading to goals each. While no player wants to lead this category, the small totals show that these incidents were relatively uncommon across the league.

Just behind the leading our quartet sits a group of six players on 2 mistakes each. Baptiste Azzola, João Mendes, Damian DeSoto, Eric Duic, Joshua Homme III Esquire Limited and Bad Wolf complete the top ten. With only a single mistake separating first from tenth, congratulations everyone on not becoming a blowout winner in this category.

Blocks
Blocks are often important in stopping the ball before a dangerous pass or cross reaches its end target. Whether throwing themselves in front of the ball like Phil Jones or cutting out a dangerous delivery, players who appear in this statistic are putting their bodies on the line for the team, hopefully on purpose. The statistic remains closely contested with only six blocks separating first from tenth.



Scott MacLeod leads the rankings with 23 blocks and is narrowly ahead of Marco Tentacles and Josh Harper who share second place on 22. Just behind them sits a four way tie as Ekon Ayo, Jimothy Erickson, Mecha Zilla and Alex Peña all record 19 blocks creating one of the most competitive sections of this statistic.

The final places are equally close; Eric Duic and Vumion Stitcherson both sit on 18 blocks while Joe Mormor rounds out the top ten with 17.

Shots blocked
Blocking a shot is potentially one of the most valuable defensive actions a player can make. Every successful block denies a direct attempt on goal and could maybe be seen as the goalkeeper making a save. This statistic features a clear leader before quickly tightening through the remainder of the top ten.



Scott MacLeod leads the league with 19 shots blocked, getting a four block advantage over Eric Duic and Mecha Zilla who share second place on 15. JG Wentworth and Austin Morley follow with 13 each while Josh Harper claims sixth place on 12., keeping the chasing group within touching distance.

The lower half of the rankings remains tightly grouped. Damian DeSoto records 11 blocked shots while Martin Krpan, Jean Girard and Dr Squid all share eighth place with 10. In total 9 blocks are separating first place from tenth, which is would have been a steep hill to climb. This shows how busy Scott has had it this season.

Press %
Press percentage measures how often a player's pressing actions successfully disrupt the opposition. Rather than rewarding players for pressing by volume, this statistic highlights those who consistently make their defensive pressure work and force the opponent into a mistake. Sample size can of course have a significant impact on the rankings.



ROVA SUPERSUB tops the table with a press success rate of 66.7%, woopsie bot is here too. Among the "real" players, Van Jertonghen leads the way with an excellent 52.1% while Howie Dewitt shares the 50% mark alongside another substitute bot, MONTRÉAL SUPERSUB. Damian DeSoto follows closely behind with a success rate of 47.7%.

The remainder of the rankings is tightly packed. Nick Dusk records 45.7% ahead of Baptiste Azzola and Rokuv Gibraltar who both post 42.9%. Kaz Okada and Bérangère-Amandine Bruère-Estrangin complete the top ten with identical 42.5% success rates. With only a few percentage points separating most of the "real" players.

Attempted headers
Attempted headers highlight the players who are most frequently involved in aerial duels by either winning or losing, it don't matter for this statistic. Whether challenging from goal kicks, defending/attacking crosses or attacking from corners into the box, this statistic rewards players who are consistently willing to compete in the air. One player has established a noticeable lead while the battle behind him remains much closer.



Mikko Rashford II comfortably leads the league with 251 attempted headers and is the only player to surpass the 250 mark this season. Greg Evil follows in second on 212 while Bad Wolf claims third with 208. Matt Stro and Jakob Fensterhausen share fourth place on 205, rounding out the tightly contested chasing group.

The remainder of the rankings remain a close battle. Luke Walker records 179 attempted headers ahead of Nick Dusk on 177 while Scott MacLeod, Ryan O'Neill and Scat Cat complete the top ten with 173, 169 and 165 respectively. Although Mikko Rashford II has no contenders at the top, the positions behind him were closely contested this season.

Succesful headers
Winning aerial duels is more important than just contesting for the duel, which everyone could do. Successful headers reward players who come away with the ball, whether by clearing danger, winning midfield battles or directing attacking headers towards teammates or the goal. While the same player remains in the lead, the rest of the rankings is closely contested.



Mikko Rashford II once again leads the rankings with 169 successful headers, it would almost me impossible not to with his attempts but he is adding another aerial statistic to his collection. Matt Stro follows in second on 159 while Jakob Fensterhausen claims third with 143. Nick Dusk sits fourth on 134 ahead of Scott MacLeod who rounds out the top five with 128 successful headers.

The battle behind them remains competitive. Scat Cat records 125 successful headers narrowly ahead of Bad Wolf on 123. Greg Evil follows with 114 while Damian DeSoto and Resetti Moretti share ninth place with 112 each. Although Mikko Rashford II has established himself as the league's most successful player in the air, "only" 57 headers separate first from tenth, showing that he might not be the best when we look at the percentages next.

Headers %
While winning a high amount of headers is fun, it's purely based on volume. This statistic highlights the players who make the most of their aerial duels by focusing on efficiency rather than sheer volume. As always with percentage based statistics, sample size can have a major influence on the rankings.



LONDON SUPERSUB technically tops the leaderboard with a perfect 100% success rate, we don't really care though. Among the real players, Sadie Black leads the way with an outstanding 87.39% win rate, comfortably ahead of Jonathon Jameston on 84.71%. Eric Belmont follows with 83.33 and makes it three players above the 80% mark.

The middle of the table remains closely contested, Resetti Moretti records 82.35% while Bob Berendsen (79.79%) and Vumion Stitcherson (79.73%) are separated by essentialy nothing. Matt Stro follows on 77.56%, narrowly ahead of Eden Empire IV with 77.50% while Ozzy Trent Kovács completes the top ten on 75.83%.

Comparing this table with the successful headers rankings shows an interesting contrast. Players like Matt Stro appear in both statistics by combining excellent efficiency with high volume while others earn their place through winning an exceptionally high percentage of fewer aerial duels. We also do not see Rashford in this statistic.

Key headers
Key headers focus on the aerial duels that have the biggest impact on a match. Whether that is by keeping an attack alive, creating a chance or making an important defensive intervention, these headers carry more value than simply winning or retaining possession. The rankings show one clear leader before becoming much more closely contested.



Mikko Rashford II comfortably tops the table with 50 key headers and has a 13 key headers advantage over Jakob Fensterhausen on 37. Dr Squid follows in third with 34 while Greg Evil sits close behind on 33. This gives us a clear top four before the margins become smaller.
Scott MacLeod records 30 key headers, followed by Angry Lizard on 28. Nick Dusk claims seventh with 26, while Justin Fern, Dennis van Huntelrooy and Mecha Zilla all share eighth place with 25, Dennis deserves a special mention however for being a cool guy. From sixth to tenth only three key headers separate five different players.

Looking across the aerial statistics, Mikko Rashford II continues to stand out. After already leading the attempted and successful headers rankings he also tops the key headers statistic, this has made him the biggest aerial threat of the season.

Most impactful defender
Since I didn't manage to fix the defensive impact model in time to see who actually has had the most (positive) impact for their team this will now purely be based on my personal opinion, which is as close to a fact as you can get to be honest.
I would say:

1: Matt Stro (Solid tackling & aerial numbers)
2: Scott MacLeod (Solid blocking & aerial numbers)
3: Jay Cue Jr. (Solid interceptions & tackling numbers)

[DivogoJota]

2,753 words and a $250,000 bonus!

I will always be suckered into Matt Stro propaganda pieces.