Now that the World Cup draw has been made we can really start to look forward to next summer’s festival of football. These stats have been available by The Press Association who have analysed all the goals scored and conceded by the 32 World Cup finalists across the 352 qualifying matches they collectively played (including all of Brazil’s internationals in 2013, which were added in place of them needing to qualify). The stat pack section lists head-to-head stats for the teams drawn into each group, either where one team’s strength aligns to an opponent’s weakness or where a strength is cancelled out by that of an opponent. There is also a second section which lists the top and bottom three ranked nations for a range of stat types. And finally there’s a section giving some information for each of the 32 teams, including their biggest strengths and weaknesses and their FIFA Ranking. The idea behind these stats is that it gives one a closer insight into how each of the 32 teams will perform in the World Cup based on their performances in the qualifiers.
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS
Group A – Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico, Croatia
Cameroon scored 22% (3) of their goals from outside the penalty area, while Brazil conceded 47% (31) of theirs from this distance. However Mexico only conceded 7% (5) and Croatia 11% (9) of their goals in this way.
Brazil conceded 7% (5) of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, while Mexico scored 35% (4) of theirs in this period.
Croatia scored 43% (1) of their goals from inside the 6 yard box, while Mexico conceded 29% (24) of theirs from this distance.
Mexico scored 32% (7) of their goals from inside the 6 yard box, while Croatia conceded 56% (31) of theirs from this distance.
Mexico scored 16% (7) of their goals from corners, while Cameroon conceded 50% (31) of theirs in this way
Group B – Spain, Chile, Australia, Netherlands
Australia scored 56% (3) of their goals from the wings, but their group opponents conceded the 3 lowest proportions from these areas: Spain 0% (1), Netherlands 20% (2), Chile 24% (3).
Chile scored 17% (6) of their goals from corners, but none of their group opponents conceded any corners in qualifying.
Spain scored 71% (2) of their goals from central areas, while Chile conceded 64% (27) of theirs from these positions.
Australia scored 52% (2) of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, while Spain conceded 100% (32) of theirs in this period.
Netherlands took 93% (5) of possible points from winning positions, while Chile took 0% (28) of theirs from losing positions.
Group C – Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece
Japan scored 30% (7) of their goals from headers, while Greece conceded 50% (30) of theirs in this way.
Colombia took 85% (25) of possible points from winning positions, but Ivory Coast took 56% (5) from losing positions and Greece took 50% (8).
Ivory Coast scored 26% (1) of their goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, but Greece conceded 0% (1) of theirs in this period.
Greece scored 19% (7) of their goals from outside the penalty area, while Colombia conceded 23% (25) of theirs from this range.
Colombia scored 19% (5) of their goals from free kicks, while Greece conceded 50% (31) of theirs in this way
Ivory Coast took 56% (5) of possible points from losing positions, while Colombia took 85% (25) of theirs from winning ones
Group D – Uruguay, Italy, Costa Rica, England
England scored 19% (6) of their goals from outside the penalty area, while Italy conceded 33% (29) of theirs from this distance.
England scored 26% (5) of their goals from their left flank, while Italy conceded 44% (32) of theirs in from this area.
England scored 13% (7) of their goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, while Uruguay conceded 20% (24) of theirs in this way
England scored 48% (8) of their goals from the wings, while Costa Rica conceded 58% (24) of theirs from these areas.
England conceded 50% (28) of their goals from set pieces, but Uruguay scored 33% (3) of theirs in this way
England conceded 25% (23) of their goals from headers, but Italy scored 42% (2) of theirs in this way
England conceded 25% (23) of their goals from headers, but Costa Rica scored 33% (4) of theirs in this way
Costa Rica scored 33% (4) of their goals from headers, while Italy conceded 33% (26) of theirs in this way.
Costa Rica scored 22% (8) of their goals from their left flank, while Italy conceded 44% (32) of theirs in this way.
Italy took 50% (8) of possible points from losing positions, while Uruguay took 82% (30) of theirs from winning ones.
Italy scored 16% (4) of their goals from long balls, while Costa Rica conceded 17% (30) of theirs in this way.
Uruguay conceded 20% (24) of their goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, and all of their group opponents scored among the 7 highest proportions of goals in this period: Costa Rica 22% (2), Italy 16% (5), England 13% (7)
Group E – Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras, France
Switzerland scored 24% (7) of their goals from their left flank, while Ecuador conceded 38% (28) of theirs from this area.
Ecuador scored 20% (2) of their goals from free kicks, but Switzerland conceded 0% (1) of theirs in this way.
Honduras scored 28% (7) of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, while Switzerland conceded 50% (27) of theirs in this way.
Honduras failed to score in 38% (32) of their matches and France in 30% (30), while Switzerland kept a clean sheet in 70% (1) of theirs
Ecuador scored 35% (5) of their goals from inside the 6 yard box, while Honduras conceded 33% (25) of theirs from this distance
Group F – Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia
Argentina scored 77% (1) of their goals from central areas, with all their group opponents conceding the 8 highest proportion of goals from here: Nigeria 75% (31), Bosnia 67% (29), Iran 57% (25)
Nigeria scored 27% (1) of their goals from free kicks, while Iran conceded 57% (32) of theirs in this way
Nigeria scored 64% (1) of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, while Bosnia conceded 33% (23) of theirs in this way
Iran scored 40% (1) of their goals from their right flank, while Argentina conceded 27% (23) of theirs in this way
Bosnia took 100% (1) of possible points from winning positions, while Iran took 11% (25) of theirs from losing positions
Bosnia scored 60% (8) of their goals from central areas, while Nigeria conceded 75% (31) of theirs from here.
Group G – Germany, Ghana, USA, Portugal
Germany took 100% (1) of possible points from losing positions, while USA took 81% (31) of theirs from winning ones.
Ghana scored 20% (2) of their goals from free kicks, while USA conceded 29% (30) of theirs in this way
Ghana scored 24% (9) of their goals from their right flank, while Portugal conceded 45% (29) of theirs in this way
USA scored 15% (9) of their goals from corners, while Portugal conceded 36% (30) of theirs in this way
Portugal scored 50% (5) of their goals from the wings, while Germany conceded 60% (26) of theirs in this way
Group H – Belgium, Algeria, South Korea, Russia
Algeria scored 50% (5) of their goals from the wings, while all 3 of their group opponents conceded among the 9 highest proportions from these positions: Belgium 75% (32), South Korea 64% (29), Russia 60% (26).
Russia scored 60% (8) of their goals from central areas, but 3 of their group opponents conceded among the 6 smallest proportions from here: Algeria 14% (1), Belgium 25% (3), South Korea 27% (6)
Belgium scored 33% (3) of their goals from set pieces, while South Korea conceded 55% (31) of theirs in this way and Algeria conceded 43% (26)
Belgium took 93% (9) of possible points from winning positions, while Russia took 0% (32) of theirs from losing positions
Algeria scored 19% (1) of their goals from long balls, while Russia conceded 20% (31) of theirs in this way
Algeria scored 31% (6) of their goals from headers, while Russia conceded 60% (32) of theirs in this way
South Korea scored 30% (6) of their goals in the final 15 minutes of matches, while Belgium conceded 75% (31) of theirs in this period
Russia scored 20% (4) of their goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, while South Korea conceded 27% (32) of theirs in this period and Belgium conceded 25% (29)
Source: The Press Association.
