If I showed you this GIF to someone and told that person the team in possession was one of the worst teams in the Western Conference, I don’t feel they would believe me. I have trouble with the narrative that SKC has no bite and they are lacking in the final third, and this is a great example why.

They move the ball around with ease and open space up on the right side of the field as if they were performing surgery. It was one of the most beautiful attacking buildups this weekend, most of which revolved around ball movement INSIDE the coveted area of zone 14.

The overlapping run by Graham Zusi is such trade mark by Zusi at this stage, especially with Johnny Russell tucked so far in the middle of the field. Zusi gets into the 18 and then lasers a beautiful ball across the face of goal, which Benny Feilhaber somehow dances around, leaving Salloi to get a boot on it. Somehow, and once more it’s difficult to tell exactly how, he just gets a bit under it and ricochets the ball off the top post. You can see how stunned (and probably a bit frustrated) Graham Zusi is off to the right after it drops behind the bar for a goal kick.

It’s brilliant, the numbers tell us it was brilliant and it just doesn’t come off. Really it’s kind of Daniel Salloi’s season in the form of a GIF. The young Hungarian attacker has put up pretty good underlying numbers despite being hampered by injuries this year, and yet, he has zero goals and zero assists to show for it.

Part of this, for what it’s worth, is simply bad luck. I try and avoid saying that on this article because A) I know a lot of coaches don’t like saying it and it’s not how players train. It’s all within your own ability to create, influence and make a play. Also B) it becomes a bit of a cliche and a throw away bit of lazy analysis. It people turn off when they hear it.

That said, I look at his xPlace (negative 2.6) and I look at his G-xG (his full xG amount) and I think this is all just bad luck. Look, call it unlucky finishing or whatever you wish to call it, he’s putting shots on frame which usually go in. Hopefully he keeps getting chances because they’ll start going in eventually.

Still, it’s hard to watch this one and not blame Salloi. He’s got an open net beckoning him. It’s sad to see this play and how it turns out for him (and SKC) knowing the type of season he and the team have had, but then again it’s great to see that despite an awful run of luck the 23-year old looks to be trending positively and is improving his game, according to the underlying numbers.

Now let’s take a look at the “Lofy Expectations,” the goal last week that had the lowest xG value.

Lofty Expectations: Mason Toye, Minnesota United, 0.023 xG

Assisted By: Darwin Quintero

Keeper: Pablo Sisniega

Result: Goal