Total Number of Goals Scored
171 goals were scored in 64 games at the 2014 World Cup.
65 goals in the First Half and 98 goals in the Second Half of games.
8 goals were scored in Extra Time.
Information about Group games here.
Information about Knockout games here.
Information about Penalty Shoot Outs here.
Scoring First
The team that has scored first has won forty-three of the fifty-seven games played in which goals have been scored. There have been seven 0-0 drawn games: Game 13, Iran v Nigeria: Game 17, Brazil v Mexico; Game 23, Japan v Greece; Game 40, Costa Rica v England; Game 42, Ecuador v France; Game 59, Netherlands v Costa Rica; Game 62, Netherlands v Argentina. There have been three 1v1 drawn game, Game 16, Russia v Korea Republic; Game 48, Algeria v Russia; Game 49, Brazil v Chile. There have been two 2v2 drawn games. (Germany v Ghana; USA v Portugal).
The team that has scored first has not lost in forty-nine of the sixty-four games played.
Elo Ratings
Thirty-four higher Elo Ratings teams have scored first and won (Mexico v Cameroon; Chile v Australia; Colombia v Greece; France v Honduras; Argentina v Bosnia & Herzegovina; Germany v Portugal; USA v Ghana; Netherlands v Australia; Croatia v Cameroon; Colombia v Cote d’Ivoire; France v Switzerland; Argentina v Iran; Belgium v Russia; Netherlands v Chile; Spain v Australia; Brazil v Cameroon; Mexico v Croatia; Uruguay v Italy; Colombia v Japan; Greece v Cote d’Ivoire; Argentina v Nigeria; Bosnia & Herzegovina v Iran; Switzerland v Honduras; Portugal v Ghana; Germany v USA; Belgium v Korea Republic; Colombia v Uruguay; France v Nigeria; Germany v Algeria; Argentina v Switzerland; Germany v France; Brazil v Colombia; Argentina v Belgium; Germany v Argentina).
Two higher Elo Ratings teams scored first and lost (Spain v Netherlands; Uruguay v Costa Rica).
Four higher Elo Ratings teams scored first and drew (Germany v Ghana; Portugal v USA; Russia v Algeria; Brazil v Chile).
Seven higher Elo Ratings teams have drawn 0-0 with lower Ratings teams (Iran v Nigeria; Brazil v Mexico; Greece v Japan; England v Costa Rica; France v Ecuador; Netherlands v Costa Rica; Argentina v Netherlands).
Nine lower Elo Ratings teams scored the first goal of the game and won (Italy v England; Chile v Spain; Uruguay v England; Costa Rica v Italy; Nigeria v Bosnia & Herzegovina; Algeria v Korea Republic; Belgium v USA; Germany v Brazil; Netherlands v Brazil).
Two lower Elo Ratings teams scored the first goal of the game and drew (Korea Republic v Russia; Costa Rica v Greece)).
Six lower Elo Ratings teams have scored the first goal of the game and lost (Croatia v Brazil; Japan v Cote d’Ivoire; Ecuador v Switzerland; Algeria v Belgium; Honduras v Ecuador; Mexico v Netherlands).
Photo Credit
Valeu Brazil (Thomas, CC BY 2.0)
[…] Germany is one of nine teams at the World Cup that has scored first against a higher Elo Ratings tea… (in their semi-final against Brazil). I see this as an important indicator of performance potential. […]
[…] I have tracked these 171 goals in fifteen minute blocks during the 64 Matches played (I thought this would make the inclusion of two periods of extra time in the knockout stage much neater). There were goals scored in 57 of these Matches. […]