Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League continue and there was plenty of late drama, goals and penalty saves!
Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi was the standout performer after saving a pair of penalties in his side’s 3-1 New Zealand Derby loss to rivals Auckland FC on Saturday.
Note: The weekly Team of the Week will feature matches played from Monday to Sunday.
Team of the Week
What is the Opta Points system?
Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
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While Wellington suffered a fifth consecutive defeat to Auckland, Oluwayemi (50) soared thanks to his penalty-saving exploits at Go Media Stadium.
He isn’t the only Phoenix player in the Team of the Week, joined by New Zealand international midfielder Alex Rufer (34), who scored in Round 7.
Reigning premiers Auckland have two players represented – goalscorer Lachlan Brook (32.6) and full-back Francis De Vries (28).
While Macarthur Bulls and Melbourne Victory shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw, they are represented in the Team of the Week by Harry Politidis (29.4) and Clarismario Santos (27.4).
Also in the Team of the Week are Sydney FC’s Victor Campuzano (24.8) and Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Angus Thurgate (26.2), as well as Central Coast Mariners duo Alfie McCalmont (27) and Nathan Paull (24.6), and Adelaide United’s Ryan Kitto (24.8).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
