In FIFA.com’s latest stats review, the goals of Messrs Aguero, Aduriz and Messi feature alongside a scoring return for Darmstadt, packed stands in America and coaching changes at Vasco da Gama.
44,028 was the record crowd that crammed into Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field to roar on USA’s women on Monday. The attendance, which set a new benchmark for a stand-alone women’s international in the US, watched the world champions cruise to an 8-0 victory over Costa Rica. The result equalled the Stars & Stripes’ biggest-ever win over Las Ticas and was particularly memorable for one player. Christen Press, after all, led the scoring effort with just the second hat-trick of her international career. This latest victory also came on the same day that US players dominated the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ All-Star Squad, with five of their trophy-winning heroines named on the FIFA Technical Study Group list.
12,132 days after their last Bundesliga goal, Darmstadt made a scoring return to the German top flight on Saturday. Marcel Heller was the man responsible for the club’s first Bundesliga strike since May 1982 and he went on to find the net again as they fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Hannover. There were notable goals elsewhere too, with Stefan Kiessling and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scoring on the opening weekend of the German season for a record-breaking fourth successive year. Kiessling, in fact, has now scored in the opening round of six Bundesliga seasons – and is the first player this century to do so. It should also have been a weekend to remember for Raul Bobadilla as he made his 50th top-flight appearance for Augsburg. Unfortunately for the Paraguay striker, he was red carded for the second consecutive Bundesliga match, a fate that had previously befallen just eight players in the league’s history.
10 goals have been now scored by Sergio Aguero in his last nine Premier League matches. The Manchester City striker continued this rich vein of form by netting the opener in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, taking his overall haul in England’s top flight to 79. This is more than any other Premier League player has managed in the period since Aguero moved to the country in 2011. As well as boasting a born predator, City also possess an expert creator, with David Silva now on 49 Premier League assists. This too represents a league-high tally since Silva joined the club in 2010, with Wayne Rooney (40) his closest challenger. Both players were on song as Chelsea were beaten in a Premier League game in August for the first time in 29 attempts. Jose Mourinho’s side also became just the second reigning Premier League champion to fail to win either of their opening two matches. It may console them to learn, however, that the first – Manchester United in 2007/08 – went on to retain the title and win the UEFA Champions League.
4 goals were scored by Aritz Aduriz in the Spanish Supercup this week, setting a new record for a single edition of this national showpiece. The Athletic Bilbao striker’s impressive haul was established over two dramatic legs, the first of which saw him become the first man in over 11 years – since Diego Forlan in May 2005 – to score a hat-trick against Barcelona. Aduriz’s treble was also started and completed within the space of 14 minutes and 55 seconds, making it the fastest conceded by the Catalans since 1943. The 4-0 scoreline it helped yield was the heaviest defeat Lionel Messi had ever suffered against a Spanish side and, coming on the back of the 5-4 UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla, left Barça having conceded as many in two matches as they had in their previous 13. It was, in fact, the first time since 2001 that the Camp Nou giants had conceded four times in successive matches. Messi did, however, score in a 1-1 second-leg draw to become the first player to find the net in five Spanish Supercups (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015), surpassing Xavi and Hristo Stoichkov in the process. Barcelona’s talisman was already the tournament’s all-time leading scorer and, with 11 goals overall, is now four clear of second-placed Raul.
1 new coach every 11.4 games: that is what Vasco da Gama have averaged over their last season-and-a-half in Brazil’s top flight. The latest change in the Rio outfit’s dugout took place on Sunday, when Jorginho became their sixth coach of this turbulent period. The 1994 FIFA World Cup™ winner replaced Celso Roth, who lasted just two months in the job and departed with the club rooted to the bottom of the Brasileiro. Vasco have picked up just 13 points from 19 matches so far and are facing relegation for the third time in eight seasons. Sunday’s appointment coincided with Jorginho’s 51st birthday, and the former full-back – who starred for the club between 2000 and 2001 – spoke of having received the best possible present. We can only hope he is still as enthusiastic 12 games from now.