23.06.2026 18:10
The elimination of the National Team from the World Cup revealed a striking picture in terms of the team's shooting statistics. While only 13 of 62 shots were on target, this situation highlighted both the team's scoring ability and the effectiveness of the opposing defenses.
Vincenzo Montella, after the defeats against Australia and Paraguay in the World Cup, took refuge in the high number of shots taken by the team, saying, "This happens once in 50 years." But how justified is this defense? Numerically, it is justified, but in terms of quality, there is a big problem.
62 SHOTS BUT NO QUALITY SHOTS
According to a report compiled by Hürriyet; the Turkish National Team attempted a total of 62 shots in their first two matches of the World Cup. This figure is a number that no other team has reached as of the second match day in the tournament. However, when the quality and effectiveness of the shots are examined, the picture is not very encouraging. Most of the shots were taken out of desperation, a large portion were immediately blocked by opposing defenders, and they did not even reach the goal.
MATCH-BY-MATCH DETAILS
- Australia match (2-0 loss): 30 shots, 12 blocked by opposing players
- 10 off target
- 8 on target but saved by goalkeeper Patrick Beach
- Paraguay match (1-0 loss): 32 shots, 12 blocked by opponents
- 15 off target
- 5 on target but no goal
TOTAL STATISTICS
Of the 62 shots taken, 24 were blocked, 25 were off target, and only 13 hit the target. Thus, the national team became the team that both took the most shots and had the most off-target shots.
EXAMPLE FROM OTHER TEAMS
Canada, in their 6-0 victory over Qatar, took 32 shots, 14 of which were blocked. Of the remaining shots, 10 were on target and resulted in 6 goals. This clearly demonstrates the importance of shot quality.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
The most notable name was Kenan Yıldız. Playing all 90 minutes in both matches, Kenan took 12 shots but could only send 1 on target. Arda Güler (11 shots - 3 on target), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (11 shots - 2 on target), and Merih Demiral (5 shots - 2 on target) also failed to find the net.
RIGHT IN QUANTITY, WRONG IN QUALITY
In conclusion, while Montella's statement "we took many shots, fate did not help us" is correct in terms of quantity, it deserves criticism in terms of the quality of the shots, accuracy rate, and goal-scoring ability. Turkey, having failed to score in both matches in Group D, faces the danger of elimination.