I’ve briefly mentioned the stat Total Shots Created before. Basically it’s how frequently a player contributes to the moment leading to an attempt on goal. It’s one that I like a lot in terms of crediting individual players for their single contributions to the team’s efforts. Obviously there are other elements to a match that are also important and lead to definitive events that have predictive value (i.e. other things that players can do to help a team win). However, shots are one of the more valuable numbers out there and available. There is also the little fact that everyone loves goals. Goals are awesome and invoke celebrations. Shot deflections, all out blocked shots, or midfield recoveries hardly elicit the same reaction from friends but arguably hold near as much individual performance weight/value to the team.

With all the emphasis on shots and individual production there is another number worth mentioning: %Tsh (Percentage of Team Shots). It’s a pretty percentage of how many of the total team shots a player was involved in creating, not just shooting himself.

This time around, the list is compiled of the top 50 players in shot creation based upon the shots they’ve taken, assists that they’ve been attributed, or other shots they’ve created by their passing ability. Players below have been sorted by their %Tsh.

Player Club POS GP GS MINS G A SHTS KP SH-C ShC-90 Total Team Shots %Tsh Federico Higuain CLB F 5 5 448 4 2 18 17 37 7.43 71 52.11% Pedro Morales VAN M 6 4 407 1 2 14 14 30 6.63 67 44.78% Fabian Espindola DC F 5 5 441 1 2 9 13 24 4.90 55 43.64% Mauro Diaz DAL M 6 6 515 2 3 10 14 27 4.72 62 43.55% Robbie Keane LA F 4 4 360 3 1 17 11 29 7.25 68 42.65% Mauro Rosales CHV M 6 6 540 0 3 9 15 27 4.50 64 42.19% Lloyd Sam NY M 6 6 531 0 3 11 16 30 5.08 74 40.54% Landon Donovan LA M-F 4 4 360 0 2 12 12 26 6.50 68 38.24% Giles Barnes HOU M 5 5 437 0 1 21 5 27 5.56 71 38.03% Diego Valeri POR M 6 6 518 1 0 18 14 32 5.56 85 37.65% Erick Torres CHV F 6 6 524 5 0 18 6 24 4.12 64 37.50% Thierry Henry NY F 4 4 360 1 0 19 8 27 6.75 74 36.49% Shea Salinas SJ M 0 360 0 3 2 18 23 5.75 69 33.33% Alvaro Saborio RSL F 6 6 540 3 0 18 4 22 3.67 66 33.33% Felipe Martins MTL M 6 6 536 1 2 18 12 32 5.37 97 32.99% Justin Mapp MTL M 6 6 540 0 3 11 18 32 5.33 97 32.99% Gilberto TOR F 4 4 333 0 0 12 8 20 5.41 62 32.26% Michael Bradley TOR M 343 1 0 5 15 20 5.25 62 32.26% Deshorn Brown COL F 5 4 366 1 0 16 4 20 4.92 62 32.26% Teal Bunbury NE F 6 6 540 0 1 14 9 24 4.00 75 32.00% Clint Dempsey SEA M 4 3 303 6 1 20 5 26 7.72 84 30.95% Obafemi Martins SEA F 6 6 531 1 4 10 12 26 4.41 84 30.95% Quincy Amarikwa CHI F 6 5 475 3 1 14 11 26 4.93 84 30.95% Eddie Johnson DC F 5 5 441 0 0 11 6 17 3.47 55 30.91% Graham Zusi KC F-M 4 4 360 1 2 8 14 24 6.00 78 30.77% Diego Fagundez NE M-F 6 6 539 0 0 19 4 23 3.84 75 30.67% Darren Mattocks VAN F 6 6 490 1 2 11 7 20 3.67 67 29.85% Chris Wondolowski SJ F-M 4 4 360 3 0 17 3 20 5.00 69 28.99% Joao Plata RSL F 3 3 207 2 2 9 8 19 8.26 66 28.79% Leo Fernandes PHI F 5 3 326 2 1 12 8 21 5.80 74 28.38% Dom Dwyer KC F 5 4 340 2 0 19 3 22 5.82 78 28.21% Brad Davis HOU M 311 0 2 3 15 20 5.79 71 28.17% Marco Di Vaio MTL F 3 3 270 1 1 22 4 27 9.00 97 27.84% Fabian Castillo DAL F 6 6 539 2 0 15 2 17 2.84 62 27.42% Will Johnson POR M 6 6 539 1 0 18 5 23 3.84 85 27.06% Maurice Edu PHI M 6 6 540 2 1 11 8 20 3.33 74 27.03% Hector Jimenez CLB M 5 5 433 0 2 6 10 18 3.74 71 25.35% Lamar Neagle SEA F 6 5 416 1 2 13 6 21 4.54 84 25.00% Mike Magee CHI F 4 4 360 1 2 13 6 21 5.25 84 25.00% Will Bruin HOU F 5 5 449 3 1 11 5 17 3.41 71 23.94% Bernardo Anor CLB M 5 5 416 2 0 13 4 17 3.68 71 23.94% Kenny Miller VAN F 6 5 447 3 1 9 6 16 3.22 67 23.88% Cristian Maidana PHI M 5 4 293 0 2 8 7 17 5.22 74 22.97% Vincent Nogueira PHI M 6 6 540 1 1 10 6 17 2.83 74 22.97% Michel DAL M-D 6 3 312 3 1 9 4 14 4.04 62 22.58% Vicente Sanchez COL F 3 2 193 4 0 6 8 14 6.53 62 22.58% Darlington Nagbe POR F-M 6 6 490 0 1 5 13 19 3.49 85 22.35% Juninho LA M 4 4 358 0 2 7 6 15 3.77 68 22.06% Benny Feilhaber KC M 5 5 449 1 1 7 9 17 3.41 78 21.79% Kyle Beckerman RSL M 6 6 540 2 2 7 5 14 2.33 66 21.21%

This list below is sorted by total ShC-90, shot creation per 90 minutes. The one stipulation I would make is to be careful when looking at some of the numbers below. Guys like Justin Meram end up at the top of the list after playing just 58 minutes and scoring a goal in that short time. This leads to incorrect perceptions of certain players, as well as providing horrible and trite narratives like “Justin Meram is the most underrated player ever.” That might be true, but probably not. Just look out for small sample sizes.

Player Club POS GP GS MINS G A SHTS KP SH-C ShC-90 Total Team Shots %Tsh Justin Meram CLB M 5 0 58 1 1 5 2 8 12.41 71 11.27% Yannick Djalo SJ M 2 0 56 0 0 6 1 7 11.25 69 10.14% Marco Di Vaio MTL F 3 3 270 1 1 22 4 27 9.00 97 27.84% Joao Plata RSL F 3 3 207 2 2 9 8 19 8.26 66 28.79% Clint Dempsey SEA M 4 3 303 6 1 20 5 26 7.72 84 30.95% Federico Higuain CLB F 5 5 448 4 2 18 17 37 7.43 71 52.11% Robbie Keane LA F 4 4 360 3 1 17 11 29 7.25 68 42.65% Kekuta Manneh VAN F 6 1 167 1 0 11 2 13 7.01 67 19.40% Thierry Henry NY F 4 4 360 1 0 19 8 27 6.75 74 36.49% Pedro Morales VAN M 6 4 407 1 2 14 14 30 6.63 67 44.78% Vicente Sanchez COL F 3 2 193 4 0 6 8 14 6.53 62 22.58% Landon Donovan LA M-F 4 4 360 0 2 12 12 26 6.50 68 38.24% Graham Zusi KC F-M 4 4 360 1 2 8 14 24 6.00 78 30.77% Dillon Serna COL M 2 1 106 0 1 5 1 7 5.94 62 11.29% Dom Dwyer KC F 5 4 340 2 0 19 3 22 5.82 78 28.21% Leo Fernandes PHI F 5 3 326 2 1 12 8 21 5.80 74 28.38% Brad Davis HOU M 311 0 2 3 15 20 5.79 71 28.17% Shea Salinas SJ M 0 360 0 3 2 18 23 5.75 69 33.33% Giles Barnes HOU M 5 5 437 0 1 21 5 27 5.56 71 38.03% Diego Valeri POR M 6 6 518 1 0 18 14 32 5.56 85 37.65% Gilberto TOR F 4 4 333 0 0 12 8 20 5.41 62 32.26% Felipe Martins MTL M 6 6 536 1 2 18 12 32 5.37 97 32.99% Justin Mapp MTL M 6 6 540 0 3 11 18 32 5.33 97 32.99% Mike Magee CHI F 4 4 360 1 2 13 6 21 5.25 84 25.00% Michael Bradley TOR M 343 1 0 5 15 20 5.25 62 32.26% Cristian Maidana PHI M 5 4 293 0 2 8 7 17 5.22 74 22.97% Lloyd Sam NY M 6 6 531 0 3 11 16 30 5.08 74 40.54% Chris Wondolowski SJ F-M 4 4 360 3 0 17 3 20 5.00 69 28.99% Quincy Amarikwa CHI F 6 5 475 3 1 14 11 26 4.93 84 30.95% Deshorn Brown COL F 5 4 366 1 0 16 4 20 4.92 62 32.26% Fabian Espindola DC F 5 5 441 1 2 9 13 24 4.90 55 43.64% Jermain Defoe TOR F 3 3 242 3 0 11 2 13 4.83 62 20.97% Mauro Diaz DAL M 6 6 515 2 3 10 14 27 4.72 62 43.55% Lamar Neagle SEA F 6 5 416 1 2 13 6 21 4.54 84 25.00% Kelyn Rowe NE M 2 2 179 0 0 6 3 9 4.53 75 12.00% Mauro Rosales CHV M 6 6 540 0 3 9 15 27 4.50 64 42.19% Obafemi Martins SEA F 6 6 531 1 4 10 12 26 4.41 84 30.95% Steven Lenhart SJ F 3 3 258 0 0 9 3 12 4.19 69 17.39% Erick Torres CHV F 6 6 524 5 0 18 6 24 4.12 64 37.50% Saer Sene NE M 6 4 286 0 0 8 5 13 4.09 75 17.33% Michel DAL M-D 6 3 312 3 1 9 4 14 4.04 62 22.58% Teal Bunbury NE F 6 6 540 0 1 14 9 24 4.00 75 32.00% Juan Luis Anangono CHI F 6 1 113 1 0 5 0 5 3.98 84 5.95% Sal Zizzo KC F 5 4 367 0 2 9 5 16 3.92 78 20.51% Dwayne De Rosario TOR M 5 3 254 0 0 10 1 11 3.90 62 17.74% Bradley Wright-Phillips NY F 5 2 278 1 0 9 3 12 3.88 74 16.22% Diego Fagundez NE M-F 6 6 539 0 0 19 4 23 3.84 75 30.67% Will Johnson POR M 6 6 539 1 0 18 5 23 3.84 85 27.06% David Texeira DAL F 5 2 211 1 0 6 3 9 3.84 62 14.52% Marco Pappa SEA M 4 2 165 0 0 6 1 7 3.82 84 8.33%

Overall, we’re still just getting used to this statistic, but it seems like it could help dig a little deeper into valuing those players that don’t always directly put the goal in the back of the net, but still play a key role in their teams’ abilities to do so.