As Atlanta United and MLS develop deeper knowledge and use of data analytics, we’ll be taking a look behind the curtain at some of the specific stats the club values. In our new weekly content series, we examine one metric provided by StatsBomb that may not stand out on a first watch, but upon closer evaluation, is a useful tool to measure the team’s performance. This is Staying on Track presented by MARTA.
Heading into a critical matchday, the last home match of the regular season for Atlanta United and a must-win for any hope of postseason qualification, Saba Lobjanidze is putting together one of the best seasons for the team in 2024. Entering Matchday 37, the winger from the country of Georgia leads the team in goals scored (8). He also ranks second in assists (7) behind Brooks Lennon.
Saba’s most recent goal came September 28 in Atlanta United’s 1-1 draw at Philadelphia Union. At Subaru Park, Atlanta United trailed the home team by a goal as they entered the final 20 minutes of the match. Then, Atlanta United found their answer in the 72nd minute.
The play started with Alexey Miranchuk collecting an errant clearance and swinging the ball to the other side of the field, as Lennon described in detail during media availability on Monday:
“I saw that the ball was transitioning from the lefthand side to the right. Alexey made a great pass to Daniel Ríos, who was on the righthand side of the box. I gave him a shout, as I was overlapping him, so he could hear me and know that I was coming. To his credit, he gave me a great pass down the line. I just tried to put it into a dangerous area, and luckily Saba was there to finish it off.”
The header was Saba’s eighth goal of the season, which leads Atlanta United in scoring. The expected goal on the header was 0.37, a high value out of 1.0, a testament to Lennon’s accuracy on the pass. And Saba was able to rise up and finish it off for the equalizer in Philadelphia.
At 5-foot-9, Saba doesn’t have a huge advantage in height or verticality, and it’s not often that he scores on a header. However, we’ve seen him score on headers before, even just within the past few matches. In the September 18 draw with Inter Miami CF, Saba put away a headed goal in the 56th minute, finishing a cross whipped in by fullback Pedro Amador. The xG for that finish was 0.07, lower than the header in Philadelphia and therefore a more difficult finish. That goal kicked off an exciting finish in front of a full-venue crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against first-place and Supporters’ Shield winners Inter Miami CF.
Minute Scored | xG | Video Highlight | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 18 vs. Inter Miami CF | 56th | 0.07 | |
Sept. 28 vs. Philadelphia Union | 72nd | 0.37 |
Since arriving to Major League Soccer in 2023, Saba Lobjanidze has been one of the most impactful wingers in the league when looking specifically at the metrics Atlanta United uses to measure players in that position. Among wingers since he joined MLS, Saba ranks in the top 10 in several categories per 90 minutes:
- Goal contributions (0.5)
- xG contributions (0.46)
- Shots (2.55)
- Shots + key passes (4.08)
- Post-shot expected goals (0.32)
As we learned when we examined at his high work rate earlier this season, Saba is all over the pitch. He covers the most ground out of any player not just with Atlanta United but in MLS. He’s a relentless runner, constantly moving in all areas of the pitch. (It’s amazing he can find the energy with a newborn at home.)
With that under consideration it’s not that surprising that Saba is one of the best wingers at getting into dangerous territory. Saba ranks seventh amongst wingers in MLS for touches in the box, averaging 6.8 per game. He continually puts himself in positions where he can be most effective for Atlanta United in their attack. Even more, with a higher number of touches inside the box, a highly concentrated and heavily defensed area, he shows skill and efficiency under pressure.
In that same article that measured Saba’s work rate, we encouraged 17s to keep an eye on Saba, even when he doesn’t have the ball, just to see how much he works and how much distance he covers in a match. Now, we encourage you to look for him when Atlanta United is looking to score. There’s a good chance you’ll see No. 9 in red and black in areas where he can make an impact, hovering around the goal line, streaking up the pitch in transition, looking for a chance to score.
