Wow, STL City. I guess I wasn't as familiar with your game as I should be. Time for me to dig deeper into your metrics this week.

Through 28 matches, Nashville SC's 63 points are the most in MLS history.

Friday Stat Dump: Key Pass g+ Chains Last Friday we introduced the concept of a Shooter g+ Chain: Receive Key Pass → Dribble (optional) → Shoot (g+ Receive) → (g+ Dribbling) → (g+ Shooting) Through last Friday, here are the top 35 shooters in MLS 2026 by Shooter g+ Chain value.

Did a bit of work today and now we can see this same list broken out by g+ Shooting (raw), g+ Dribbling (pre-shot), and g+ Receiving (of the key pass). This helps us understand better how each top shooter (or any shooter) improves goal probabilities. And there are lots more possibilities than this!

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · last wk.

So now, what we are establishing is a chain. A set of related actions that improve shot value. We could call this the "Shooter Chain". The Shooter Chain looks like this: Receive KP → Dribble → Shoot (g+ Receive) → (g+ Dribbling) → (g+ Shooting) g+ Shooter Chain leaders:

Friday Stat Dump: Shooter g+ Chains I've made a big deal on this account about key passes and Expected Assists (xA) in the past and even "intentional" and "unintentional" elements. Today, we start to go a layer deeper. First, your 2026 MLS key pass leaders through last weekend.

I believe very much it’s a league of phases. You need to do well enough in three of five of them, and you make the playoffs.

Matthew Doyle@mattdoyle.bsky.social · last wk.

The Sounders lost 8 straight. Then they drew 5 straight. Now they've won 3 straight. Very normal league.

Been a really fun game in Seattle tonight. Both teams over 20 shots. The fans were really in it. SKC came to play. Data courtesy of @futi.live

NWSL said:

Did you know you can "win" the Wooden Spoon in Cien Goles? There are few different comments the game will make when it happens.

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 2w ago

Cien Goles · NWSL · Hard · 3-4-3 ⚽ 21 goals scored 🥄 Wooden Spoon 📊 16th Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: -3% (Grade: F) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Cien Goles · NWSL · Hard · 3-4-3 ⚽ 21 goals scored 🥄 Wooden Spoon 📊 16th Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: -3% (Grade: F) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Added a fix and a couple of enhancements to Cien Goles today on the Bluesky / share functionality: 1. Enhancement: the league shows in the first line 2. Fix: NWSL Champions instead of MLS Cup Champions if the league is NWSL 🙃 3. Your individual awards are shown with the player who got them.

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 2w ago

Cien Goles · NWSL · Easy · 3-4-3 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 106 goals scored 🏆 NWSL Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) 🏅 MVP: Wilson 🏅 Golden Boot: Wilson ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Cien Goles · NWSL · Easy · 3-4-3 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 106 goals scored 🏆 NWSL Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) 🏅 MVP: Wilson 🏅 Golden Boot: Wilson ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Cien Goles · Medium · 3-4-3 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 111 goals scored 🏆 MLS Cup Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF Sam Surridge absolutely dominated

Friday Stat Dump will be coming out, but it will be on a different day over the next week. I have something I want to share, but it is not ready yet. Stay tuned.

Cien Goles · Hard · 4-3-3 ⚽ 84 goals scored 📊 2nd Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 82% (Grade: C) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Need a Triple on Hard mode!

Matt Wilcox@fadedtoblack.bsky.social · 3w ago

Now time to best Hard. Cien Goles · Medium · 4-3-3 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 104 goals scored 🏆 MLS Cup Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Closest one so far... Cien Goles · Hard · 4-3-3 ⚽ 71 goals scored 🏆 MLS Cup Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 67% (Grade: D) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

The TD of this Cien Goles squad needs to be fired, but the coach should be in Europe based on this performance. cc: @jamonm.bsky.social

I really enjoyed getting to talk to Katherine Gier about the Cien Goles game, as well as how I got into soccer analytics, and the growth of analytics and challenges covering the women's game. Check it out if you want to hear more about our coverage of women's soccer at @americansocceranalysis.com.

The IX Sports@theixsports.bsky.social · 3w ago

This week, @jamonm.bsky.social joins @kgier.bsky.social on The IX Sports Podcast Soccer Edition to discuss advanced soccer analytics and how they are changing the NWSL. www.theixsports.com/podcast/the-...

Did you get 100 goals on easy and medium difficulties in Cien Goles? It's time to try hard difficulty! Here are a few tips to getting more goals (these work on easy and medium as well): 1) There is no overall rating, so look at the colored WGCF boxes. Higher numbers and darker boxes are better.

Five months later, Vancouver and SKC are in the running as the best and worst teams by xPoints since 2013. Nashville are likely going to win the Supporter's Shield like most teams over the last few years - by over-performing their underlying metrics. Montreal has had rotten luck.

Eliot McKinley@eliotmckinley.com · 6mo ago

With most teams having played 8 games, the underlying stats are beginning to become useful while still noisy. Vancouver may be the best MLS team ever and SKC the worst. Both are performing as expected. There's a huge pack of average teams down on their luck.

Brian White just did what I think there should be more of in soccer: redirected a shot hockey-style. Sure that initial ball had an outside chance, but it made it such an “easy” finish because the keeper was on the post, following it.

Have you played Cien Goles today? We’re still looking for our first MLS and NWSL teams to score 100 goals or more in a season on Hard difficulty. Share your scores on Bluesky and tag me if you can get over 90!

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 3w ago

Can you build an MLS or NWSL super team that can score 100 goals in a season? Announcing Cien Goles, a simulation game modeled with the Where Goals Come From framework! ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com Best of all, it's free!

118 might be our new high score. This is on "Easy". Can you beat it? If you do, share it! What is your best score on Medium or Hard difficulties?

Tim Renz@ogscienceguy.bsky.social · 3w ago

Cien Goles · Easy · 4-2-3-1 ⚽ 118 goals scored 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 98% (Grade: A) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF First time so I played on easy, but didn't use any re-spins.

I believe this is the first shared instance of The Triple! What happens when you get a Triple? You have to play to find out. 😉

Kathleen Gier@kgier.bsky.social · 3w ago

This game is so much fun! Drop your best score in the responses. ——— Cien Goles · Easy · 4-4-2 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 123 goals scored 🏆 MLS Cup Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 94% (Grade: B) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

No cup but pretty good for my first try. 2019 Jordan Morris an assist demon! Cien Goles · Medium · 4-2-3-1 ⚽ 101 goals scored 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

This game is so much fun! Drop your best score in the responses. ——— Cien Goles · Easy · 4-4-2 ⭐⭐⭐ THE TRIPLE ⭐⭐⭐ ⚽ 123 goals scored 🏆 MLS Cup Champions 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 94% (Grade: B) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF

Cien Goles · Easy · 4-4-2 ⚽ 95 goals scored 🛡️ Supporters' Shield 📊 1st Place 🎯 Draft efficiency: 100% (Grade: A) ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com #CienGoles #WGCF Be better than me!

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 3w ago

Can you build an MLS or NWSL super team that can score 100 goals in a season? Announcing Cien Goles, a simulation game modeled with the Where Goals Come From framework! ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com Best of all, it's free!

Just checking in my data, and we have had no Cien Goles yet on Hard difficulty. In Hard difficulty, you lose seeing the overall rating, but you get to keep the all the WGCF category data (although pick from worse teams overall). Who can be the first? Be sure to share on Bluesky if you get it!

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 3w ago

Can you build an MLS or NWSL super team that can score 100 goals in a season? Announcing Cien Goles, a simulation game modeled with the Where Goals Come From framework! ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com Best of all, it's free!

No Friday Stat Dump today as all my available energy went into putting out this game for all of you to enjoy. If you've missed this due to work or other reasons, jump in and have some fun! ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com Look for an FSD-type thread tomorrow or Sunday, though!

Jamon M - MLS and footy analysis@jamonm.bsky.social · 3w ago

Can you build an MLS or NWSL super team that can score 100 goals in a season? Announcing Cien Goles, a simulation game modeled with the Where Goals Come From framework! ciengoles.americansocceranalysis.com Best of all, it's free!