--- title: "Guide: Reading the Match Report for Improvement" description: "Guide: Reading the Match Report for Improvement" url: https://support.goalunited.org/en/articles/195-guide-reading-the-match-report-for-improvement collection: "Expert Guides" updated: 2026-10-17 language: en alternates: [fr, de, it, pl, es, tr] --- # Guide: Reading the Match Report for Improvement Guide: Reading the Match Report for Improvement The post-match newspaper report is the richest feedback tool in goalunited, yet most managers glance at the score and move on. Used properly, it reveals why you won or lost and what to change. This guide walks through all three pages with an analytical lens. ## **Accessing the Report** After any match, double-click (or click the magnifying glass icon) on the fixture in your match overview. The newspaper report opens with three pages accessible via tabs on the right side. > **Info:** Full report functionality is available for League, Cup, and International Masters matches, plus Friendlies and Practice matches. Some filters are not available for United event matches. ### **Page 1 — The Match Timeline** The first page shows the formation at kick-off and a chronological event log: goals (with scorers and minutes), yellow/red cards, injuries, substitutions, and half-time direction cards played. Key questions to ask here: - When did goals go in? Early goals often indicate a formation mismatch in the first 15 minutes. Late goals frequently signal endurance problems — players fading in the second half. - Were there cards and at what effort level? Consistent card problems with 'normal' effort usually mean aggressive player personalities — check individual personalities. - Did injuries happen before or after the 60-minute mark? Early-match injuries at normal effort suggest low energy in those players at kick-off. - Was there a half-time direction played? Compare first-half performance (45-min filter) with the full match to see if it had the intended effect. > **Info:** Use the 45-minute filter alongside the full-match filter to isolate first-half vs. full-time performance. If your team controlled the first half but collapsed in the second, endurance or energy is the issue. If you started poorly but improved, your half-time card or tactic change worked. ### **Page 2 — Game Statistics** Page 2 shows a comparison of the stats for each team, such as goals, yellow/red cards, possession, shots on goal, passes, and successful passes.

Statistic	What It Tells You
Goals	total goals scored by each team (45-minute or total)
Yellow /red cards	Warnings received by each team: yellow and red cards
Shots on goal	The shots on goal attempted by each team
Team Ball possession	Ball possession for each team
Passes and successful passes	total passes per team and the successful pass rate
Duels won	Duel won by each team
Penalties, corners and Free kicks	separate stats indicating the penalties, corners and free kicks that each team had in the match
Fouls	Number of fouls committed by each team
Distance run	Distance run by each team

### **Page 3 — Match settings and general team Statistics** Page 3 provides the team-level context: what bonuses and modifiers were active for both sides in this match.

Statistic	What It Tells You
Offensive Value	How many chances your formation shape generated. Low value = too few attackers or overly defensive formation.
Home Advantage	Stadium size × actual attendance. If this is low, your stadium capacity or ticket pricing may be limiting income AND match advantage.
Team Experience	Average XP across your squad. Consistent gap vs. opponents here = squad needs experienced players or more playing time for younger ones.
Team Spirit	Where your spirit sat going into this match. Spirit below 50 is a meaningful disadvantage. Check it regularly.
Bonuses	Active decoration/upgrade bonuses for both clubs. If the opponent has bonuses you do not, that gap compounds over a season.

> **Info:** If the opponent's bonuses section shows items yours does not (Moai buildings, Residential Centers, Dragon Monuments etc.), that is a long-term investment gap that explains persistent close losses. Add those items to your decoration priority list. ## **The Heatmap** Each of the 9 sectors is coloured green (your advantage), orange/red (opponent's advantage), or neutral. The percentage shows the relative split — 60%/40% in your favour means you had a clear edge there.

What You See	What It Often Means
Consistently red sector 4 or 6 (wing midfield)	Your wide midfielders are weak, mispositioned, or outclassed at that level
Red sector 2 (central defence)	Your central defender is being dominated — check opponent's striker strength
Red sector 8 (central attack)	Your strikers are consistently losing their duels — formation or strength problem
Green everywhere but still lost	The failure aspect, you created more but converted less.
First-half filter shows green; full-match shows red	Players are fading, with endurance or energy problem in the second half

> **Warning:** The heatmap does not show the failure aspect. A green sector means you had the statistical advantage; it does not guarantee your players converted those opportunities. A sector can be green at 65% while your team still failed multiple close chances. This is why sector control and final score do not always align. ## **Player Ratings** Individual ratings (shown as numbers next to each player) represent absolute performance, how much of their potential they delivered in this match. Higher is better. The circular colour indicates player type (yellow = standard, star shape = Star Player, purple = Ultimate Player). What patterns to look for across multiple matches: - A player consistently rating below their squadmates in the same sector may need replacement or repositioning. - A player rating well in the 45-minute filter but dropping significantly in the full match - endurance /energy going down. - Ratings that are good but the team still loses, the failure aspect is affecting conversion, not player quality. ## **Building an Improvement Loop** The most efficient managers follow a consistent post-match review cycle: 1. After every loss or draw that surprised you, read all three pages of the match report within 24 hours. 2. Identify the primary cause: Was it a formation mismatch (page 2 sectors), a physical problem (page 2 rating fade, page 3 spirit/endurance), a tactical problem (page 2 specific sectors), or pure variance (green heatmap, low offensive value converted)? 3. If formation/tactical: adjust the specific sector with a different player placement or tactic change for the next similar opponent. 4. If physical: check the players who faded. Is their endurance below 80? Was energy low before the match? Adjust training focus for the following week. 5. If variance: accept it, do not make panicked changes. Check the same match pattern across 3–4 games before drawing conclusions. Based on that, consider changing the approach: try different tactic/ formation, adjust effort based on match importance/ opponent level, use halftime changes to adjust your tactics and formation for the second half when needed. > **Info:** Keep a simple mental note (or actual notes) of which sectors are persistently red across matches. A single red sector in one game is noise. The same sector being red across 4–5 consecutive games is a structural weakness requiring a formation or squad change. ## **Common Patterns and Their Causes**

Match Report Pattern	Likely Cause	Fix
Win sectors 1–7, lose 8 and 9	Strikers outclassed	Better strikers or repositioning to sub-positions that dilute defender advantage
All sectors green, still lost	Bad luck/failure aspect	Accept variance; no formation change needed unless pattern repeats 4+ times
Ratings are good in the first half, drop sharply by 80 min	Low endurance across squad	Add endurance training, use Endurance trading cards, rest players more
Concede late goals consistently	Second-half fatigue in defence	Lower effort, increase endurance training, substitute fresher defenders at half-time
Strong sector control but few goals	Low form or morale on strikers	Workshop training, morale cards, Win Series will help over time
Lose sectors 1–3 consistently	Defensive formation is too thin or defender strength gap	Add a third defensive-leaning midfielder or upgrade defensive players

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