Stats behind the misery: England’s World Cup nightmare in numbers

The England team thank their supporters after the final Group stage match at the World Cup in Brazil.

A dejected England team touched down on Wednesday following a lacklustre World Cup campaign that failed to excite and deliver on any level. The players and backroom staff, clearly worried about the negative reception they may receive, landed at a remote terminal of Manchester airport before being escorted via luxurious limousines and private jets to various parts of the country – an act many described as slipping through the back door.

At the beginning of June, Roy Hodgson proudly declared that the World Cup was “going to be a great adventure,” acknowledging that the national team were carrying “a lot of hopes and dreams” with them across the rough waters of the Atlantic. However it only took two games for optimistic dreams to swiftly morph into nightmares, transforming the so-called adventure into a voyage of misery.

Three matches played, no victories, two losses and one point. It’s clear that England’s campaign was a major disappointment. But how did they fair, statistically speaking, with the rest of the teams in Group D?

Can we find positives in the harsh truth of statistics, or do they only serve to swell England’s bottomless pit of gloom?

Goals Scored & Conceded

England can thank Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge for scoring their only goals in Brazil. Liverpool’s 24-year-old striker finished off a sweeping move up field in the opening match against Italy on 14 June, and Rooney netted his first goal in the revered competition five days later during the 2-1 loss to Uruguay.

Failing to hit the back of the net on a consistent basis is a major problem. A hindrance that is lessened somewhat with a sturdy and reliable defence. But with four goals conceded, it seems England did neither.

Claudio Marchisio and Mario Balotelli scored either side of the interval in Manaus, while a Luis Suárez inspired Uruguay repeated the pattern in São Paulo.

Costa Rica’s unexpected mean defence sent the Central American’s through, securing highly respectable results against three former World Cup champions. England, on the other hand, departed after only two games.

Pass Accuracy, Pass Length & Possession

Panic-stricken, inaccurate and hopeful passes from deep positions, have become synonymous with England’s style of play in recent years – you’d have to rack your brain to remember a time when this was not the case. Because of this, a number of cardiac pacemakers have been fitted in the chests of England supporters as they fight through bouts of anxiety on matchday, crying out for highly proactive, possession-oriented football that would allow the likes of Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and Wayne Rooney to receive the ball and play with the freedom displayed at club level on a weekly basis.

Fans will be pleased to know that passing length was kept to a minimum in Brazil, even if it was due to the team playing narrower and narrower as wide attackers shuttled inside, encouraging the wing-backs to pass centrally instead of attacking the byline at pace.

Possession levels also rivalled Italy, with England totalling 52% following the three matches played, fuelled by a pass completion percentage of 85%.

It’s also worth noting that the two predominantly defensive/counter-attacking sides in Group D, Uruguay and Costa Rica – indicated, to a certain extent, by greater passing lengths, lower possession and pass completion totals – qualified for the last 16, whereas Italy and England fell by the wayside.

The benefits of being able to keep the ball in the oppressive heat of South America…

Chances Created & Shot Accuracy

In football, chances and shots go hand in hand. The latter follows the former. Therefore, Hodgson will be frustrated that his England side excelled in one of the categories, yet failed in the other.

Even though they failed to pick up a win, England created 32 chances in Group D.

Italy (11) created fewer goalscoring opportunities in Manaus. Uruguay (6) created significantly less chances in their encounter with England (11) too. And Costa Rica (3) barely troubled Joe Hart in a fairly uneventful match that mattered little in Belo Horizonte.

However, along with fellow strugglers Italy, Hodgson’s side failed to test the likes of Fernando Muslera and Keylor Navas enough, with a series of misplaced shots skewed into the stands.

Defensive Actions & Duels Won

The final section highlights how England faired with the opposition throughout the three games played. Were they continuously on the back foot, clearing the ball away from danger in a haphazard fashion? Did they fail to impose themselves, losing personal battles under waves of relentless pressure?

Well, England won 56% of duels (tackles, fouls, dribbles and headers), leading the pack by a significant distance. They also completed the fewest defensive actions (34) in the group, indicating that they weren’t overly troubled by the opposition. Although when an opportunity did present itself to Italy and Uruguay’s talented forwards, Hart found himself picking the ball out of the back of the net.

There are positives for Hodgson to take from his short stay in Rio de Janeiro. England controlled games, maintaining possession of the ball, increasing passing totals, winning personal duels, in addition to crafting out a number of goalscoring opportunities.

That said, goals win games, and as such, their proficiency at both ends of the pitch was what ultimately sent them packing.