Statistics

Statistics are often overlooked in soccer, and we here at MLSsoccer.com think that's too bad.

So each Monday, we'll be bringing you five of the most telling stats following the previous weekend's round of games. They might be about the individual game itself, a team's recent run of results or an individual player lighting it up. This week, we've got all three.

Here's five key stats from Week 11:

• 25 players have scored 3 or more goals in MLS 2013 so far. Five of the 25 – exactly one-fifth – are Portland Timbers players. [Mike Donovan, @TheMikeDonovan]

The five players are Ryan Johnson, Will Johnson, Diego Valeri, Rodney Wallace and Darlington Nagbe. The New York Red Bulls come in a close second with four players (Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, Fabián Espíndola and Jámison Olave). To make up for those two hogging all the three-goal scorers, Chivas USA, Seattle, Vancouver, Colorado, D.C. United, Chicago and New England have a combined zero. Ouch.

• With Sunday night's victory against the Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City have now handed MLS opponents their first loss at a new stadium at six different stadiums: BBVA Compass Stadium, BMO Field, Qwest Field, Rio Tinto Stadium, Robertson Stadium (Houston Dynamo) and Spartan Stadium (San Jose Earthquakes). [Sporting Kansas City]

Quite rude of them to crash house parties in such a manner, really.

• Jack McInerney's game-winning goal against the Chicago Fire on Saturday was his 15th goal in 30 appearances since John Hackworth took over as Philadelphia Union head coach for Peter Nowak last June. [Philadelphia Union]

Jack Mac has done everything in his power to earn a US national team call-up for this summer's Gold Cup. It would be more than a mild shock if his early season form doesn't translate to his first senior team cap. Are you paying attention, Jurgen?

• Following their 3-2 road loss to the Montreal Impact on Saturday, Real Salt Lake have yet to win in Canada in the club's history, moving to 0-6-4 in 10 matches across all competitions north of the border. [Real Salt Lake]

The math is in their favor, though; only one Canadian team resides in the Western Conference, so they'll avoid Toronto FC and Montreal for a second (and/or third) time in the regular season as well as the playoffs, barring an MLS Cup meeting.

• The San Jose Earthquakes have won just one of their past eight games, a stretch that includes three losses. During their Supporters' Shield-winning 2012 campaign, the fewest games they won during an eight-game stretch was four, and that run was without a loss.

For context's sake, the 2012 stretch came during the final eight games of the season with the Supporters' Shield already won and San Jose resting starters for the playoffs. Granted, it's still early in the season, but the Earthquakes are well behind their 2012 pace of 1.94 ppg (1.17 so far in 2013), which is a difference of 26 points over a 34-game season.

Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments below.

You've probably noticed that the Portland Timbers are pretty tough to beat. They're one of only two teams in the league with just a single loss, and it's not because they're bunkering.

On the contrary, they'll holding the ball higher up the pitch, and defending from the front better than anyone in the leauge:

That's what coach Caleb Porter has instilled from Day 1: Defend the ball, not the goal. And his team has taken to it with aplomb thus far.

If you want to understand what "Porterball" really is, that's where you need to start.

P.S. We'll get to that outrageous 2012 number for Chivas USA at a later date. Statistics, remember, can often be damned, dirty lies.

It took two games for Roy Miller to become a punchline this season, but since his return to the lineup in mid-April, the New York Red Bulls have gone 4-1-0. Here's a chart that should give you some idea as to why:

This is not to say that Miller, alone, is the cause for New York's crossing prowess. In fact, he rates significantly lower than Heath Pearce – the "other" left back in Mike Petke's rotation – by Opta's count.

But one of the best aspects of Thierry Henry's game is his ability to drop deep on the left, find space, then curl in a right-footed cross to the penalty spot – usually aiming for the head of Tim Cahill, who still excels at making those delayed runs from central midfield.

The reason Henry has all that space? Because Miller overlaps as relentlessly as any fullback in the league, dragging defenders away from the Frenchman, creating new passing lanes, and just making it harder to defend that side of the field.

Les 530 joueurs actifs actuellement en Major League Soccer sont nés dans 61 pays différents, ce qui fait de la MLS la compétition la plus internationale des cinq « grands » championnats de sports collectifs aux États-Unis et au Canada. Les 6 différentes confédérations continentales y sont représentées.

Sans surprise, les États-Unis arrivent en tête de liste, avec un total de 293 joueurs. Suit le Canada, avec 24, talonné de près par le Brésil (23). Viennent ensuite la Colombie (19), l’Angleterre (15) et la France, en cinquième position, avec 14 joueurs. Le Mexique, la Jamaïque et l’Argentine ont aussi chacun vu naître au moins 10 joueurs actuels de MLS.

Environ 40% des joueurs sont nés à l’extérieur des États-Unis ou du Canada, mais plusieurs parmi eux ont acquis la nationalité d’un de ces deux pays, pour qui ils peuvent donc se produire en équipe nationale. En outre, le nombre de 317 « locaux » constitue un sommet dans l’histoire de la MLS.

Ceux qui croient que la MLS est faite pour les « vieux étrangers » doivent revoir leurs préjugés : leur moyenne d’âge est de 26 ans et demi. Et elle n’est que de 25 ans et 3 mois pour ceux arrivés depuis la fin de la saison dernière. La tendance semble donc davantage à la recherche de jeunes talents prometteurs hors-frontières.

Les données fournies par l’Elias Sports Bureau permettent de constater que la NBA est la deuxième compétition la plus diversifiée, avec des joueurs provenant de 44 nations différentes. 19 pays sont représentés en LNH, pour un total de 24,3% de joueurs ni américains ni canadiens.

Pour voir une carte du monde des joueurs de MLS par lieu de naissance et une liste de ceux nés à l’étranger, rendez-vous ici.

Suivre @CoupFrancMLS