Matildas must score first if they want to win the World Cup

An analysis of women's professional soccer matches has found that scoring first is the most important contributor in predicting who will win matches. The study found that other key elements of success are intentional assists relative to the opponent, the percentage of shots on goal saved by the goalkeeper relative to the opponent, shots on goal relative to the opponent and the percentage of duels that are successful. The researchers say the reason why scoring the first goal is the most important contributor to success may relate to the psychological impact on both teams.