The Proof-Of-Concept Project at GKGrades.com

Due to recent events, I'm now provided the ability to bring my head above water from the pool of work and stress I was drowning in for a long time.  My free-time can now be partially filled with more Fox Soccer Channel, Gol TV, MLS Direct Kick, and UEFA Champions League.

In June, I began a proof-of-concept project where I formulated a system for which goalkeepers could be measured by a numerical rating that factors in many different applicable game statistics.  The intent is to revolutionize the way the goalkeeper position is graded.  It's my opinion that goals-against-average (GAA) and shutouts are the most deceiving positional statistics in all of sports.  The result is a numeric rating similar to that of the quarterback position in the National Football League.

Using the 2010 FIFA World Cup as the testing ground, I've got about 30 more games to analyze and log into the GKGrades intelligence database.  Many of the games have already been rated with published ratings on this website.   The final project deliverable will be a comprehensive look at goalkeepers and their performances throughout the entire World Cup.  I think many people will be surprised to see that the highest rated GK's might not be traditional powerhouse names like Iker Casillas or Gigi Buffon, but rather someone that plays for a national team or club that flies relatively low beneath the radar.

Goalkeeping is a position that requires intense focus and non-stop concentration. Don't get caught sleeping like the guys in this video...

GK Ratings for Round of 16 - Uruguay vs. South Korea

Final: Uruguay 2, South Korea 1
Port Elizabeth Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa
World Cup 2010, Match 50
06/26/2010

Fernando Muslera
Uruguay National Team, #1
GK Rating: 99.8 

World Cup 2010 GK Profile: Fernando Muslera
Minutes: 90
Touches: 31
Tests: 4
Goals Allowed: 1 (68th min)
PK Goals Allowed: 0
Routine Saves: 6
Exceptional Saves: 2 (59th min, 87th min)
PK Saves: 0
Exceptional Plays: 0
Errors: 0
Critical Errors: 0
Error Rate: 0.000
Critical Error Rate: 0.000
Save %: 0.889
Save % + PKs: 0.889

Jung Sung Ryong
South Korea National Team, #16
GK Rating: 61.8 

Minutes: 90
Touches: 20
Tests: 2
Goals Allowed: 2 (8th min, 80th min)
PK Goals Allowed: 0
Routine Saves: 10
Exceptional Saves: 0
PK Saves: 0
Exceptional Plays: 0
Errors: 1 (8th min)
Critical Errors: 1 (8th min)
Error Rate: 0.045
Critical Error Rate: 0.045
Save %: 0.833
Save % + PKs: 0.833

Diego Binaglio of Switzerland Ranks As Best World Cup Keeper Through Game 1

The following table represents the GoalkeeperGrades.com GK Rating^TM for the first games in the 2010 World Cup. The GK Rating^TM, borrowed from the concept of a passer rating or quarterback rating in the NFL, is a cumulative measure of the total performance of a goalkeeper. GK RatingTM is an algorithm calculated using each goalkeepers's total touches, tests, goals allowed, PK goals allowed, routine saves, exceptional saves, PK Saves, errors, and critical errors. A GK Rating does not have a maximum or a minimum, but a rating of 100 or above is considered to be exceptional. A GK Rating below 80 is considered poor.

Download Complete Statistical Table (.pdf)

GK.Name	Squad	Opponent	GK.Rating
Diego.Binaglio	Switzerland	Spain	121.1
Vincent.Enyeama	Nigeria	Argentina	114.4
Jung.Sung.Ryong	South Korea	Greece	106.2
Tim.Howard	USA	England	106.0
Fernando.Muslera	Uruguay	France	105.8
Richard.Kingson	Ghana	Serbia	105.7
Maarten.Stekelenburg	Netherlands	Denmark	105.5
Samir.Handovic	Slovenia	Algeria	102.9
Itumeleng Khune	South Africa	Mexico	101.4
Claudio Bravo	Chile	Honduras	100.8
Sergio Romero	Argentina	Nigeria	100.7
Manuel Neuer	Germany	Australia	100.7
Eduardo	Portugal	Ivory Coast	100.6
Boubacar Barry	Ivory Coast	Portugal	100.5
Federico Marchetti	Italy	Paraguay	100.1
Thomas Sorensen	Denmark	Netherlands	98.4
Hugo Lloris	France	Uruguay	94.6
Noel Valladares	Honduras	Chile	93.3
Justo Pillar	Paraguay	Italy	92.2
Oscar Perez	Mexico	South Africa	90.5
Eiji Kawashima	Japan	Cameroon	90.0
Alexandros Tzorvas	Greece	South Korea	88.2
Ri Myong Guk	North Korea	Brazil	87.2
Hamidou Souleymanou	Cameroon	Japan	86.7
Jan Mucha	Slovakia	New Zealand	85.6
Mark Paston	New Zealand	Slovakia	79.5
Mark Schwarzer	Australia	Germany	77.6
Vladamir Stojkovic	Serbia	Ghana	75.6
Julio Cesar	Brazil	North Korea	75.4
Faouzi Chaouchi	Algeria	Slovenia	72.9
Robert Green	England	USA	68.1
Gianluigi Buffon	Italy	Paraguay	50.2
Iker Casillas	Spain	Switzerland	46.9
AVERAGE			91.7

Here are some statistical insights on goalkeeper performance after each nation's first match...

Highest Save %:
Diego Binaglio, Switzerland (1.000 - 11 saves)

Lowest Save %:
Gianluigi Buffon, Italy (0.500)

Highest Exceptional Save %:
Diego Binaglio, Switzerland (1.000 - 4 exceptional saves)

Most Involved GK:
Mark Paston, New Zealand (42 touches & tests)

Least Involved GK:
Julio Cesar, Brazil (13 touches & tests)*

Most Saves:
Ri Myong Guk, North Korea (12)

Highest Error Rate:
Eiji Kawashima, Japan (0.107)

Highest Critical Error Rate:
Iker Casillas, Spain (0.095)

* Italy's Buffon and Marchetti each logged 12 touches and tests, but only played 45 min each due to Buffon's injury.

If GAA was the primary statistic in use, Mark Schwarzer (Australia) would be last on the list with a GAA of 4.000. Anybody who watched this match would understand that this is further proof that GAA is not a proper measure of goalkeeper performance. Schwarzer's stat line of the match against Germany reads as:

GK Rating: 77.6
Touches &; Tests: 40
Goals Allowed: 4
Routine Saves: 6
Exceptional Saves: 2
Errors: 0
Critical Errors: 0

Your performance measure should be significantly affected when you let 4 goals get by, but it shouldn't necessarily rank you as the worst GK on the list. Schwarzer's GK Rating ^TM ranks him as 27th out of 33 goalkeepers who saw time in match 1.