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Adam from Football Trader returns for some French-focussed scribblings for the Sorare Academy game, taking a look at what the high achievers can tell us about the scoring system.
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Today I want to talk about the top 15 French SO5/Academy game scorers over the last season. As we head towards the end of the season we have enough data available to us to be able to assess who have been the best performers in 2021/22. And by doing so, hopefully, show you more about which, or indeed, what sort of players are the most powerful on the scoring matrix.
When looking at players’ overall season-long SO5 performance I am looking at their L40 or, in full, their average SO5 scores over the last 40 games. I will exclude players who have played a small percentage of those last 40.
At the top of the rankings, there are no surprises. Kylian Mbappe has a spectacular average of 73 over his last 40 games. And the Academy shows that is holding up over the last five games too.
Not far behind is Karim Benzema with an average of 70. They are the two form forwards on the planet. And importantly for their weekly scoring, while they do contribute a serious amount of goals and assists, they also play a larger than average role (compared to lots of forwards) in their teams’ overall play. So while decisive actions are important, their all-around game can support their scoring each game week. These two are pretty much ‘must start’ options.
The other forwards in the top 15 are also not really surprises. Players who have a high goal or assist threat but who also play for possession-heavy sides, or are their side’s attacking fulcrum, meaning they hit big (for forwards) all-around scores. Nabil Fekir (L40: 63) comes in seventh, Kingsley Coman (61) is 10th, Martin Terrier (59) slots in at 12th, and Jean-Luc Dompe (59) is next in 13th.
Across the top 15, there are five defenders. Only one, Benjamin Pavard, is a full-back – but even he is not really a traditional full-back. Directly behind Mbappe and Benzema in third place overall is Dayot Upamecano (L40: 65), showing the power of the ball-playing centre-back on the scoring matrix. Upamecano has not had, in real life, a stellar season. However, the system he plays in, for the dominant club in the Bundesliga, means that he is always in with a chance of a high all-around score and clean sheets. Over the last 40 games, he has an average all-around score of 29 – that is nine more points per game than Trent Alexander-Arnold! Centre-backs remain powerful.
In terms of the other defenders, Lucas Hernandez (L40: 63) comes in sixth, the recently injured Olivier Boscagli (62) is in eighth, William Saliba (61) and Pavard (59) are ninth and 14th respectively. Theo Hernandez just misses out in 16th, with an L40 of 57 being very solid for an attacking full-back. But, it is the centre-backs that you need for SO5. And specifically, those that play for dominant teams who hog possession.
When it comes to midfielders, they are the least well-represented position group in the top 15. Only three make it. And despite my preaching in favour of using a foundation player like Aurelien Tchouameni, it is actually the boom or bust midfielders who have hit the L40 heights this season. In fourth, after Mbappe, Benzema and Upamecano, is Dimitri Payet. A surprise? Maybe. He is one place ahead of the rampant Christopher Nkunku. Payet has an average of 65 over the last 40 games, Nkunku 64. I think Payet is probably one of the more underrated players on the matrix, especially in the Academy tournament where age is but a number. Both he and Nkunku have had pretty phenomenal seasons.
The only other midfielder to make this French top 15 is… Benjamin Bourigeaud! His average of 60 over the last 40 games has him sat in 11th in the rankings, one place above his teammate Martin Terrier.
So what lessons? Mbappe, Benzema, Paye and Nkunku have been scoring machines on the matrix. But, more generally, when looking to set up your teams, age is irrelevant and fixtures are critical, as is player form and the tactical system they play within. Centre-backs are very powerful, and I will often stack two in my line-up. You need, in mass participation, near restriction-less tournaments, to combine being contrarian with selecting high-peak score players. Picking the right boom/bust midfielder and high all around forwards is also critical.
1 year, 11 months ago
Hi All.
Who scores more in Game week 37:
A) Zaha Maddison Richarlson
B) Son Gordon Toney
TIA