Shootouts, shutouts and struggles

In many ways, football is a simple game: the team that scores the most goals wins. Yet in every single match, there are intriguing statistical sub-plots that help make the beautiful game the fascinating spectacle that it is. That's why, each week, FIFA.com takes a look at the numbers behind the results.

Featured in this latest review are a 26-penalty shootout, the defensive impregnability of Los Angeles Sol, unusual spread of Italy's U-21 squad, and the woes of two Argentinian giants.

 years and 132 days made Marcelinho Carioca this past week's oldest marksman. Pé de Anjo (Angel Foot) inspired Corinthians to the FIFA Club World Championship glory in 2000, and his latest goal earned Santo Andre a 1-1 draw with his former club's fierce rivals Sao Paulo in the Brasileirao.

penalties is what it took to separate Spain and Russia in the Euro Beach Soccer Cup final on Sunday. The sides shared eight goals during normal time and failed to score during extra time, but after the Iberians had scored their 13th spot-kick, Roberto saved Egor Shaykov's second effort in the shootout to ensure La Roja will travel to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009 as European champions.

clean sheets in 12 matches have been kept by Los Angeles Sol this season following their goalless draw with Sky Blue on Saturday. Boasting the likes of Shannon Boxx, Aly Wagner, Camille Abily, Aya Miyama, Han Duan and Marta, the California outfit were expected overwhelm opponents with irrisistable attacking football. However, having scored only 1.25 goals per game on average, it is their defensive resiliency that has proven the catalyst in their 11-point lead atop of the Women's Professional Soccer standings. Karina LeBlanc's latest shutout took her tally to eight, with Val Henderson keeping the Sol's other clean sheet.

members of the 23-player Italy squad that kicked off their UEFA U-21 Championship campaign yesterday spent the 2008/09 season with Serie B clubs. Salvatore Sirigu (Ancona), Marco Andreolli, Andrea Poli (both Sassuolo), Lino Marzoratti (Empoli), Andrea Ranocchia (Bari), Antonio Candreva (Livorno), Piermario Morosini (Vicenza) and Alberto Paloschi (Parma) were all named in Pierluigi Casiraghi's Azzurrini, the tournament's record champions and winners of five of the last nine editions.

goals: that is how many Independiente have conceded in heavy defeat three times in 17 outings this term, following Sunday's 5-0 reverse by Banfield. It was preceded by 5-1 losses to Lanus and Estudiantes and dropped Los Diablos Rojos, who kept three clean sheets in their first five games but have leaked an average of 2.42 per game thereafter, to 14th in the 20-team division. Curiously, Independiente's record seven Copa Libertadores titles were indebted to their impregnability: they conceded just 11 goals in 18 legs of these finals; an average of 0.61 per game.

is the number of clásico victories Boca Juniors will finish the Clausura 2009 with following a 3-0 defeat by Racing Club on Sunday; one that owed much to goalkeeper Pablo Migliore and playmaker Lucas Castroman, both of whom joined La Academia from Los Xeneizes. Boca previously lost 2-0 to Independiente and drew 1-1 with the other two members of Argentina's ‘big five', River Plate and San Lorenzo. Boca are currently enduring their worst campaign since the competition adopted its current format in 1991.