Soccer geeks, I have a question...

Speaking as a former soccer player, former local-league soccer official and USSF-trained scorekeeper, and former occasional pro soccer beat writer, everything stated here is right.

Much like scoring baseball, scoring soccer often deals with intent. Was it intended to be a shot? Then it counts as a shot, whether it's on target or off the mark. Shots on goal are different -- that's a measure of offensive accuracy.

A save is sort of the same. Did the action stop a shot in the general direction of the goal, even if it's not exactly on target? Was the goalkeeper making an instant judgment that the ball *conceivably* could have gone into the net? It's a save. Simply touching the ball, however -- such as knocking away a cross or collecting a loose ball -- is not a save.

Now ... who wants to discuss the offside rule?