Tag: soccer math

U-20 USWNT: CONCACAF Championship Playing Time (Group Stage)

After watching the first three USA group stage matches in the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship, where head coach Steve Swanson has generously employed his full roster, I was curious to see how his use of his roster compares to past U-20 USWNT coaches in previous CONCACAF Championships.

As it turns out, Swanson’s usage of his roster is the most liberal since  since 2006, when Tim Schulz (edit: it’s Schulz, no “t”) helmed the U-20 USWNT. Compared to the past two head coaches, Jill Ellis (2010) and Tony DiCicco (2008), Swanson has rested more starters: 8 starters from the first match did not play in either the second or third match, compared to 4 or less for Ellis (3) and DiCicco (4). Swanson has also used more players:  all 20 on the roster, in fact, compared to 18 out of 20 for both Ellis and DiCicco. In 2006, Schulz also rested 8 first match starters during the group stage and used his entire roster.

Continue reading “U-20 USWNT: CONCACAF Championship Playing Time (Group Stage)”

The Dreaded 6-6-6-0 Round-Robin Group Scenario

In a four-team single round-robin schedule, a team that wins its first two matches is not guaranteed a top-two spot in the group under the rules typically used by FIFA and CONCACAF. There is a scenario where three teams in a group can win two matches each and lose a match each, resulting in the points being 6-6-6-0. Continue reading “The Dreaded 6-6-6-0 Round-Robin Group Scenario”