Last year Castrol EDGE presented Ronaldo Tested to the Limit, an award-winning documentary that showed the Portugal and Real Madrid forward showcase his strengths in a series of captivating challenges in the most scientific examination of a player ever undertaken.

Now, to celebrate the release of the documentary for free on iTunes, Castrol EDGE, Castrol’s strongest oil yet, and Ronaldo are counting down to one more epic challenge, and this time – in a ground-breaking twist – Ronaldo’s fans will get to test his skill for themselves live on Facebook.

Castrol EDGE is calling on fans everywhere to take part in the challenge – #RonaldoLIVE – by signing up on facebook.com/castrolfootball to be in with a chance of going head to head with Ronaldo on Thursday 17th May.

#RonaldoLIVE will be the world’s first interactive football challenge streamed live through Facebook from a state-of-the-art testing facility in Madrid. In the test, inspired by Ronaldo and Castrol EDGE’s Twitter followers, Ronaldo will face a barrage of footballs fired at him from chutes suspended above and he will have to receive, control and shoot each ball into one of four goals that surround him before the next ball is released.

Of the first 100,000 fans that connect to the #RonaldoLIVE Facebook app to watch live, fans will be selected at random to take part in the action, by selecting Ronaldo’s target and choosing the goals that he must shoot into.

Will Ronaldo have the lightning quick reaction speed, shooting accuracy and strength under pressure to control and successfully strike each ball? Or will his fans’ selections prove too much of a test?

All the action will be streamed live on both Castrol EDGE and Ronaldo’s Facebook pages (facebook.com/castrolfootball & facebook.com/Cristiano) on Thursday 17th May.

For fans that miss out on the live action, a mini-film will be released on Wednesday 23rd on youtube.com/castroledge and castroledge.com/ronaldo.

Castrol EDGE has been developed by experts and was tested to its limits to become Castrol’s strongest, most advanced engine oil yet. By applying the same rigorous testing to Ronaldo, #RonaldoLIVE will showcase the star player’s legendary skills, strength and agility.

Fans can download the award-winning documentary Castrol EDGE Presents Ronaldo Tested to the Limit as a free podcast on iTunes now by visiting: http://bit.ly/testronaldo.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After Chelsea’s success in Spain the previous night, Real Madrid would have been looking to add further insult to rivals Barcelona following their win over them at the weekend, by doing what Barcelona could not do and reach the Champions League Final.

Cristiano Ronaldo was wearing a pair of sail/red Mercurial Vapor 8 football boots, changing things up for the first time since the Vapor VIII were launched by not wearing the Bright Mango pair. After just fifteen minutes Ronaldo and his new boots looked to be cruising their way to the final, two quick Ronaldo goals, saw Real move into an early lead over Bayern Munich.

The first, a lesson to his La Liga counterpart Messi, was a sweetly struck penalty, awarded, after Alaba was judged, perhaps harshly, to have handled the ball. The second saw Ronaldo this time coolly finish off a pass by Ozil with an immaculate shot into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

After that the game did not go the way the Real Madrid fans and team would have wanted. Bayern Munich slowly forced there way back into the game and drew level in the 27th minute when Robben made amends for an earlier miss with a penalty that crept into the corner of the goal despite Madrid keeper Casillas getting a hand to it. From then on the game ebbed and flowed with Bayern Munich possibly having the best of it. Real Madrid kept up the pressure though with a number of free kicks by Ronaldo.

With ninety minutes completed, and the result being the only one that could see the tie ending in a draw, the match went into extra time. After a frantic two halves the football slowed up perhaps understandably as nervousness and tiredness set in. The best attacking play came in the 27th minute of extra time when Marcelo dribbled the ball from his out of his own box before releasing a pass that found Higuain who though had run into an offside position. Unfortunately for Madrid, Ronaldo had been coming up behind Higuain in an on side position, and would have been clean through on goal if the pass had reached him instead.

That was the closest either side came, and the game drifted to a penalty shoot-out, the first in a Champion leagues semi-final since 2007 when eventual winners Liverpool beat Chelsea. Germans sides have an enviable reputation for being successful in penalty shoot outs, but neither side had ever been eliminated from Europe’s premier club competition before in this way, so something had to give.

The Germans got off to the best possible starts in the shoot-out when Ronaldo looking to hit the back of the net for the third time of the night with his new football boots, saw Neuer save his and then Kaka’s penalties. It was only the second time in twenty-four penalties for Real that Ronaldo has missed.

The Spaniards got themselves back in it after Bayern saw their next two penalties saved and Real Madrid’s Alonso scored. Sergio Ramos however blasted his penalty not just over the bar, but nearly out the stadium, leaving it to Schweinsteiger to slot home his penalty and send Bayern Munich to meet Chelsea in the final on 19 May at their own stadium – a final no one really expected a couple weeks ago.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s rare that football adverts are entertaining and well done, so when we saw the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII ad featuring Nadal and Ronaldo engaging in a bout of tennis football, it was both engaging and

Video virals don’t sell boots, but they definitely allow for greater exposure if they’re done right. Nike have a done a great job bring together Ronaldo, their biggest football asset (and of course, a rare Nike player at Real Madrid) and Nadal, arguably the most popular Real Madrid fan.

Check out the new Mercurial Vapor VIIIs and Rafa Nadal take on Cristiano Ronaldo:

Here’s a clip of Rafa Nadal interviewing Cristiano Ronaldo after the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII ad shoot:

More about the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII boots:

The Mercurial Vapor VIII is designed to provide the world’s best players with a seamless fit, touch and traction that delivers explosive speed. A striking new design features a bright mango colorway with a new visual signature on the heel to help the boot stand out on pitch.

Completely re-engineered to create a snug upper that locks down the foot and prevents unnecessary movement within the boots, Nike’s new Anatomic Last takes the fit of the boot to a new level of support and stability. This is enhanced by a more minimalist and softer heel area, maximizing both comfort and fit.

The result is a boot that gives the world’s best players the performance they need.

And finally, the stills:

Images from the Mercurial Vapor VIII ad shoot

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100^th La Liga goal for Real Madrid in the side’s 5-1 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend, setting a new club record for the least amount of games to reach his century; 92. The Portuguese attacker commanded a world-record fee when the Santiago Bernabeu side acquired him for £80million from Manchester United in June 2009, but that investment may well be set to pay off this season as he spearheads Los Blancos’ quest for honours.

The debate over who the best player in the world game is rages on, however there are only two contenders; CR7 and Barcelona’s main man Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward has won three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards ahead of Ronaldo, partly due to his sparkling individual performances and the Blaugrana’s success in Europe and in Spain. Messi has delivered in the biggest games and on the highest stage and his frequent match-winning performances against Real Madrid give him the edge over his closest rival.

However, Ronaldo’s achievements since he moved to Spain have been nothing short of phenomenal. When he left Old Trafford, the then 24-year-old was largely deployed as a winger, with his masterful skill and pace commanding such an extortionate transfer fee. Since moving to the Primera Division giants, Ronaldo has added increased strength, agility and fitness to his game, with his physical athleticism frightening. Jose Mourinho uses his main weapon in a more central capacity, and the attacker’s clinical nature and goalscoring ability are there for all to see.

Last term, despite the dominance of Barcelona at home and abroad, Ronaldo won the Pichichi for La Liga’s top goalscorer with 40 goals; he became the first player to ever scored 40 goals in the Primera Division. This season he is locked in a battle with Messi once more, with 50 goals in all competitions already, 35 in La Liga. Ronaldo is tenth in the Spanish giants’ all-time top goalscorer list, and quite incredibly, if he hits the net against Mallorca and Barcelona in the reverse fixtures this term, will have scored against every team in the top flight in the one campaign.

Ronaldo won the Ballon dOr in 2008, beating Messi into the runners-up spot, and although his adversary has been recognised in an individual stance since, Ronaldo must be considered as the second best player in the world, with small margins between the top two.

The difference between the two masterful players can be measured in a couple of ways. The South American’s ‘good guy’ image of being wholesome and iconic gives him a head-start on the at times temperamental and fiery Ronaldo. Similarly, Barcelona’s success, although largely down to Messi, has helped the Argentine to claim individual praise ahead of Ronaldo, whose Real Madrid side have been outplayed by the Catalans.

However, with the capital-city side currently leading La Liga by six points and undefeated in the Champions League, the balance of power between the Clasico rivals hangs in the balance. Should Mourinho lead his side to glory this term, Ronaldo must be awarded the recognition bestowed on Messi over the last three years in Barcelona’s dominance.

ICONS.com are currently running a compeition to win a signed Cristiano Ronaldo jersey, enter here for your chance to win a once in a lifetime prize!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

To celebrate Cristiano Ronaldo’s 100th La Liga goal for Real Madrid at the weekend, a once in a lifetime opportunity is being run by leading football memorabilia provider ICONS.com. In exclusive collaboration with the Portuguese superstar, ICONS.com are giving away a free CR7 Real Madrid or Manchester United jersey for one lucky winner! With Ronaldo setting club and Primera Division records at the Santiago Bernabeu, this is your chance to win a piece of leading merchandise from a player that will surely go down in football history – all you have to do is sign up for the site.

The 27-year-old superstar is one of the most recognisable and talented players to play the game in the current generation, and is spearheading Los Blancos’ silverware charge this term with his incredible goalscoring form. With 50 goals in all competitions already, it is set to be an unbelievable campaign for Ronaldo.

When Manchester United signed a then 20-year-old Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon back in 2005, ICONS.com saw the attacking midfielder’s quality and potential, and signed the prestigious talent to an exclusive official merchandise deal. To this day, seven years later, the Portuguese marksman only signs official products for ICONS.com exclusively, so the leading memorabilia site is the only place to get autographed CR7 gear. This on-going relationship is built on trust and reputation, as two market leaders work together to make a fantastic and exciting partnership.

The CR7 range is sure to entice any football fan, with signed jerseys, boots and photos available for purchase.

How about a signed CR7 official Real Madrid jersey, with the superstar’s autograph either across the number on the back or on the front of the legendary Los Blancos white home shirt? Ronaldo is smashing records for the Santiago Bernabeu club; get your piece of history for just $599.99.

The skilful attacker swears by his Nike boots, which help him bury opponents and set scoring records; get a signed pair of Mercurial Miracle or Mercurial Vapor IV for $599.99, but don’t wear them!

A signed photo of one of his passionate goal celebrations for Jose Mourinho’s side would make a fantastic present this Easter, or would be a great addition to your sporting collection – get an autographed image of his celebration after scoring against arch-enemies Barcelona for only $299.99.

For all you Manchester United fans, relive the three Premier League titles and Champions League glory that CR7 helped the English club to during his stay at Old Trafford. An authentic signed Champions League jersey is yours for $599.99, or an autographed photo of the superstar heading his goal in the 2007-08 final against Chelsea is a fantastically priced $299.99.

Finally, with Euro 2012 on the horizon, get a photo of CR7 playing for Portugal in the lead-up to the tournament for only $149.99; the superstar is sure to be one of the leading lights in Ukraine and Poland this summer.

Take a bow Cristiano Ronaldo; a player of a footballing generation. For a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a signed Real Madrid or Manchester United jersey from CR7 visit ICONS.com today. You will regret it if you don’t!

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There’s only one more month left in 2011, and it looks like the year will go out with a real bang from a football standpoint.

December features several must-see matches, with a few that will have title implications on top of deciding bragging rights between fierce rivals.

Watch the best of Premier League action this Christmas with Sky HD. Already have Sky? Upgrade to Sky Sports online and save £5. Get Sky HD or upgrade to Sky Sports now.

La Liga: Real Madrid v Barcelona

Few matches on the calendar from here to May will match the anticipation and importance of the two Clasicos.

The importance of the first showdown, which kicks off at 9:00 pm BST on the 10th, may have been amped up even further with Barcelona’s weekend defeat at Getafe, which, combined with Real’s 4-1 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid, sees Real Madrid with a six-point lead at the top through 13 rounds.

Due to their participation in the Club World Cup, Barcelona have two league matches before their visit to the Bernabeu, while Real have one, with their game in hand being on the 17th, a home tie against Espanyol. Provided results go as expected in those matches, a win over Barca could position Real to have a nine-point lead when La Liga play resumes in January.

And though there will be more than 20 rounds left in the season, it’s very difficult to see Barca being able to overcome such a deficit.

On the other hand, if Barca are able to continue their recent dominance of Real, they will at worst be three points back if the other results go as expected, and that’s a far less daunting deficit.

At this point, however, you’d have to favor Real to triumph if there’s a winner in next month’s clash. Not only are the Galacticos in blistering form at the moment, Barcelona have struggled away from home this season, with two wins in six away league matches to date.

Saturday, 10th December 8:30pm on Sky Sports 4 and Sky Sports HD4.

English Premier League: Chelsea v Manchester City

All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge for a massive Monday night match-up, and a lot will be at stake when these two sides face off on 12/12, with the action getting underway at 8:00 pm BST.

Chelsea are currently 10 points behind Manchester City in the English Premier League table, but a win could kick-start a push to get back in the thick of the title mix. A draw, while it would not help their own cause, could help Manchester United, who are currently five back, and in-form Tottenham, who are seven back with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, a win for City would beef up their title credentials, even if the three points doesn’t see them put more distance between themselves and their closest challengers.

Monday, 12th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Manchester City v Arsenal

This match will be one to watch no matter what happens in the above match, but if Chelsea down the league leaders at home, City’s visit from Arsenal the following Sunday will be made all the more important.

Arsenal missed a chance to make up some ground on City and United this past weekend, as they surprisingly drew at home against Fulham. However, the Gunners had won five Premier League matches in a row prior to that stumble, including a 5-3 win at Chelsea in October, so their chances of getting a result at City can’t dismissed.

If City lose at Chelsea, or even draw, more dropped points against Arsenal could see things tighten quite a bit at the top. However, if City win at Chelsea, following it up with a home win over the Gunners could cement their status as title favorites, especially since they will have United, Spurs, Chelsea, and Liverpool all at home in the second half of the season.

Sunday, 18th December 4:00pm on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports HD1 and Sky 3D.

English Premier League: Tottenham v Chelsea

In a rare Thursday night tie, the Premier League’s pre-Christmas slate will wrap up on the 22nd when London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea square off at White Hart Lane.

This is a vital match for both sides, as they are both trying to stay in the title conversation heading into the new year. Many still may not be taking Spurs too seriously, but continuing their current hot streak to and through this match could start convincing some of the skeptics that they are more contender than pretender.

For Chelsea, wins over City and Spurs could not only help them as far as the title race is concerned, but it will also take some pressure off of manager Andre Villas-Boas, who’s been under some heat in the first few months of his tenure at the club. At the same time, defeats in both of those matches will only turn up the pressure on AVB and leave Chelsea needing to make a big run in the second half of the season to come close to reaching Roman Abramovich’s minimum expectations.

Thursday, 22nd December 7:30pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Scottish Premier League: Celtic v Rangers

As is the case every season, Rangers and Celtic are battling it out for the Scottish Premier League title, and the latest Old Firm derby could see momentum move definitively towards either side heading into the new year.

Only a little over a week ago, Rangers, the three-time defending champions, had a 12-point lead over Celtic. But with Rangers drawing at home against St. Johnstone and losing at Kilmarnock and Celtic scoring wins three wins in that span, at Inverness Caley Thistle and at home against Dunfermline and St. Mirren, the lead has been cut to four in a flash.

Both sides have four matches, two home and two away, before they meet on the 28th, and if the deficit remains the same going into the derby, Celtic could close the gap to one with a win, which could be quite a blow to Rangers’ confidence after having a sizable lead only a short time ago. But if Rangers can win at Hampden, it’d help restore some of the lead that they gave up, and it’d also be huge for their confidence going forward.

Wednesday, 28th December 7:00pm on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Watch Live Football On Sky HD

Don’t miss out on any live Premier League games over the holidays – with Sky Go, you can watch live football wherever you are over the holiday season, on your iPad, iPhone or laptop. Get Sky Go.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It seems that in almost every aspect of the game, two clubs dominate the footballing world. They are Spanish super heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona. Any team boasting multiple stars is said to echo Real’s Galactico era, while teams – from League Two to the K-League – are said to be a mini-Barcelona. Even the duopoly of Spain’s La Liga is now also increasingly becoming the template in other major European football leagues.

The two clubs are, in a very true and clichéd sense, storied, expecting every year to be contenders for UEFA Champions’ League title. Both teams appear stronger than last year. Only an idiot or a savant would predict against either side’s success and going by online bookmakers, these two will be contesting the Champions League final this year.

2011 Summer Transfers

Real Madrid have spent rather inconspicuously over the summer when compared to their past two sprees. The major buys were Turkey’s Nuri Sahin, of Borussia Dortmund; and Portugal whizz-kid Fabio Coentrao to reinforce the left side. Other purchases have been smaller (eg. Hamit Altintop) and aimed at providing depth at positions 15-25, rather than at supplying instant first-teamers. It seems José Mourinho is content with a power lineup; even Madridista rumour-mongers have been quiet. Impressive names (Canales, Adebayor, Garay, Dudek, Gago) were shunted through the Bernabéu’s exits, but only Adebayor and perhaps Garay had any hope of seeing significant minutes.

Barcelona have further strengthened their attacking prospects by signing Europe’s favourite Chilean, Alexis Sánchez. They also ended to the longest saga of unrequited love since Shakespeare and purchased Cesc Fabregas. These creative midfield and forward types arrive at the expense of youngsters Oriol Romeu, Jeffren, Keirrison and Bojan; while defenders Henrique and Gaby Milito have returned to South America. It’s unlikley that any of these players were to feature prominently – Keirrison and Romeu, especially – but Bojan provided a certain thickness to the squad. The defensive reserves have implied (rather than obvious) quality, meaning Barca’s backline looks oddly thinner on paper than on the field.

Squad structure

Barcelona’s squad has undergone their first summer without significant addition-by-subtraction since Pep Guardiola took over in 2008. In his first offseason in charge, he farewelled Deco and Ronaldinho, before the year after trading Samuel Eto’o and cash for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in hopes of giving Barca’s attack a different look. Ibrahimovic lasted only one year, replaced by David Villa. Their back four – which at times featured Javier Mascherano, looks especially susceptible to infirmity given their relative ages and lack of proven backups. Carles Puyol – half teddy-bear, half grizzly-bear – leads the defence alongside the best young Centre-back in the world, Gerard Piqué. In midfield, the Catalans are well-stocked; the forward corps will upon the incredible Lionel Messi, Villa and Sanchez to score goals.

Real’s defence highlights their effective central defenders, Ricardo Carvalho and Pepe. Carvalho, at 33, remains the commander of Los Merengues‘ defence and allows his counterpart to occasionally rampage further upfield. Carvalho’s ageing must be of concern to Mourinho, even given his recent retirement from international duty; should he be injured, replacements Raul Albiol and Raphael Varane (or Alvaro Arbeloa when Ramos shifts into the middle) will have more athleticism but less positional ability. Mourinho has often opted for 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations; this enables him to focus play through whirlwind talents Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil, who can then score or create for the likes of Gonzalo Higuain or Karim Benzema.

Champions’ League Group Stages

Both clubs perhaps breathed a little easier after the Champions’ League group stage draw. Real were dealt a trip to former bogey-team Olympique Lyonnais alongside a signficantly weakened Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb. All three clubs are adept, but imagining them defeating los blancos is an act of admirable and misguided fantasy. The travel involved in such a group is also quite reasonable.

Barcelona are faced with a lengthy away trip to BATE Borisov, as well as a matchup with Czech outfit FC Viktoria Plzen, whose stadium fits only 8,500 fans. A match against AC Milan without Guardiola’s arch-nemesis Zlatan Ibrahimovic looms as their first game; the return leg at Giuseppe Meazza on November 23 is their trickiest tie of the group stage.

How can these two clubs not succeed?

The questions for Real Madrid don’t concern their outfield, but goalkeeper and manager. Jose Mourinho has the chance to win the Champions’ League with a fourth club and appears driven almost to megalomania by the desire to defeat Barcelona. Should his personality become too much of a distraction, he could attract the attention of UEFA or even President Florentino Perez and find his club suddenly in the hands of a different, less able manager – temporarily or permanently.

Spain captain Iker Casillas has been his country’s best goalkeeper for almost the entire millennium. Defensive blunders for club and country have increased in recent seasons, indicating perhaps his powers as a goalkeeper could be on the wane. He’s still of the utmost quality, but one mishap in the second phase could be destructive.

It’s amazing that there are three linked questions for the popularly-acknowledged “Best Team in Europe’s history”; all concern Barcelona’s durability. Considering Abidal’s health and Puyol’s age, is their defence deep enough to stand up to another punishing campaign? Secondly, can they overcome the Curse of the Repeat and claim an unprecedented* second straight win? Thirdly, will Guardiola, who has made noises about the high levels of stress he is under, be the first one to burn out?

Barcelona and Madrid – alongside United and City, if you turn your head to the side and squint really hard – have the best teams in Europe, yet both appear to have their weaknesses in defence. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on your perception – both midfields are so strong that even weakened defences are likely to get absolutely the best protection. Both will make the semi-finals; this year’s Champions’ League victor is likely to again come from Spain.

* No team has repeated as winners of the Champions’ League since its inception in 1992-93; several teams won its predecessor, the European Cup, twice – or more – in a row.

Also See: Champions League Preview: Manchester Plots European Domination

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In an innovative documentary, Castrol pushed Cristiano Ronaldo to the limit in a series of tests designed to measure Ronaldo’s footballing skills, strength, agility and mental toughness.

It is arguably the most rigourous scientific examination of a football player ever taken as Ronaldo (a Castrol global ambassador) is literally tested to the limit – our inside sources told us of how, after several hours of grueling tests, Ronaldo was almost ready to collapse from fatigue but still managed to put in 110% in every single test he was presented with.

The documentary aims to give football fans an exclusive insight into what makes him one of the best footballers of his generation. Highlights include:

• Will his famous trademark free kick have the strength and power to stand up in an explosive encounter against walls of glass?
• How will he fare head to head against an elite sprinter in a unique battle of speed and agility?
• Can his mental strength and intuition help him through the pitch-black cross ball challenge?
• Will his skill, reaction speed, endurance and strength help him outwit trained marksman to survive the ultimate test – ‘Snipers Alley’?

Using ultra slow motion and high impact CGI, and including a series of interviews with football experts including Fabio Capello and Arsène Wenger, the film-documentary aims to give viewers unrivalled access (and insight) to Ronaldo.

Soccerlens Feedback

It’s a fascinating idea – when I first heard about the film, the football geek in me immediately wanted to pore over the data collected from the tests and see how Ronaldo had done in various tests. Recently here at Soccerlens we’ve been comparing football with other sports and looking at how little statistical analysis is done of a player’s performance on a game by game basis. Also, given how the game as evolved in the last two decades on a physical level, it’s important to be able to measure the physical attributes that give the top players like Ronaldo an edge over their opponents.

The global premiere of the film took place last Wednesday in Madrid before it was aired on Sky (and other TV channels around the world) on Thursday. Here are some clips (including a behind the scenes video) as well as photos from the documentary itself:

Trailer:

Behind The Scenes:

Premier Highlights:

Photos:

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Also See: Stat Attack: The Relentless Cristiano Ronaldo

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Just how ‘good’ is Cristiano Ronaldo? Earlier we shared news on the ‘Cristiano Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit‘ documentary which subjects CR to a series of innovate tests to measure his performances. But that’s still lab testing, off the pitch, not a true measure of a footballer’s abilities.

To measure how good Ronaldo is as a footballer, we turn to Castrol Edge to provide us with some eye-opening and jaw-dropping stats.

More than 2,500 players took part in the top five European leagues last season (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Liga and Ligue 1) and Cristiano Ronaldo was the only one who registered more goals than appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo attempted in total 250 shots last season in the Spanish Liga, including 102 shots on target, 88 off target and 60 blocked by opposition defenders.

All stats provided by Castrol Edge. For more information, visit CastrolFootball.com.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Any statistical analysis of a sporting event can go down one of two main routes. Firstly, they could be raw data, usually expressed as totals or percentages. In football, examples include the number of total corners a team concedes (or forces), the number of minutes a player is on the park for over the course of a season or even how many points a team accumulates. The second format usually depends on rate – goals per possession, corners per dribble, dribbles per game or even passing completion percentage.

Both have their uses, but as football (and other sports) become more and more subject to the moneyball theory and so-called “advanced metrics”, rate has taken precedence over simple raw data. For instance in football, teams play at different tempos – one team may slowly build from the back while other teams favour quick incisive bursts. A team with a “lump it up” and lose possession philosophy is likely to create less chances by dint of not having the ball as often. It’s fortunate we have two very visible clubs with vastly different methods of operating to easily point to: Barcelona dominate possession no matter who they play, while almost any team coached by Sam Allardyce feels more content without the ball than with it.

A Scoring Stats is defined as any goal or assist a player is credited with, therefore a player’s total thereof is the number of goals and assists he accumulates over a season. So far we’ve examined trends throughout Europe, which players were individual total leaders and finally how much the dependence on a particular player varied across the four professional divisions in one country. Now it is time to evaluate which players provided the greatest lift, per game, to their individual teams.

Unfortunately, access to minutes-played data was very difficult to come by, so this is evaluated according to the number of games in which a player participated. In this analysis, only Team Leaders are evaluated (players who led their club in total Scoring Stats) – a follow-up analysis will include all of Europe.

Europe’s Top Team leaders by match

Complete table can be found at Balanced Sports Scoring Stats page.

Once again, this only goes to highlight how far clear of the pack Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain as footballers. While the average Team Leader contributes about what teams look for from an effective, workmanlike striker (the adage goes “a goal every second game” and remember there are probably some relatively below-average Strikers leading their teams here), they nearly triple that average. After them, the next best – the perpetually injured Van Persie – only managed to average one goal or assist per match.

These totals, however, could be swayed for total numbers. Both Real and Barca scored a boatload of goals during season 2010-11. To evaluate the top fifteen clubs by goals-per-game across Europe is telling:

This table – comprised nearly completely of the usual suspects – leads us to suggest that while Messi and Ronaldo’s influence is remarkbable, it is in part due to the increased number of goals their clubs score. This of course gives rise to the perpetual (and now, frankly, boring) Messi versus Ronaldo debate and prompts us to pose the “chicken or the egg” question once more – do they top the individual list because of their team rate, or do their teams top the goals-per-game table because of their phenomenal skill? Unfortunately the answer isn’t easily forthcoming but suffice to suggest that both generate remarkable amounts of opportunities for their teams, and benefit from their teammates doing the same.

Finally, a note about VfB Stuttgart. The Reds finished a disappointing twelfth in the Bundesliga this year, yet pounded in 1.76 goals per game without having a player in the top 45 team leaders by rate. Their most productive forward by totals as Martin Harnik with 15 total scoring stats, who contributed to a quarter of their scores (averaging less than one scoring stat every two matches).

Stats for all players, teams and leagues can be found at Balanced Sports’ Scoring Stats page.

Matthew Wood regularly contributes to Soccerlens.  Shoot across to Balanced Sports for more of his commentary and analysis.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @balanced_sports

Follow the latest news and updates on El Clasico.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News