Factbox 01: tactical complexity makes soccer analysis extra challenging
The continuous opposition and dynamic nature of the soccer game, with so many playing, situational and interactive factors influencing the performance, makes it most difficult to analyze adequately. https://www.jstor.org/stable/589186?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Factbox 02: quantitative analysis and qualitative evaluation do supplement each other
Soccer match performance is multidimensional; including spatial and temporal dimensions as well as psycho-social factors, whose direct measurements are difficult to obtain. Hence, incorporating qualitative assessment of relevant contextual conditions into quantitative analysis often provides an optimal solution. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/24748668.2009.11868461
showcase 02-1: supplementary qualitative analysis from mourinho’s scouting report on fc barcelona’s offensive organization and offensive transition in season 2005/06
showcase 02-2: supplementary qualitative analysis from mourinho’s scouting report on fc barcelona’s Defensive organization, defensive transition and individual players in season 2005/06
showcase 02-3: supplementary qualitative analysis from mourinho’s scouting report on fc barcelona’s set plays for and against in season 2005/06
Factbox 03: match play is nearly all about opponent relationship
“Indeed, in a [soccer] match, the opposition creates the unexpected, necessitating constant adaptation to constraints brought about by the confrontation.” p. 140. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/026404197367416
Factbox 04: chance does influence match results
Random element plays a dominate role in how goals are scored in soccer and that in any game one team can score more goals and hence win the match purely by chance. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2343726?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
showcase 04-1: Gerrard’s fatal slip that costed Liverpool FC the premier league title it hadn’t won in 26 years
showcase 04-2: Two moments of reckless display by loris karius in the 2018 uefa champions league final that costed Liverpool FC title
Factbox 05: first thing first - basic principles of play come first
Adherence to practical guidelines based on the structural and functional understanding of the soccer game in attack and defense provides a foundation for a successfull match performance. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/24748668.2015.11868802
showcase 05-1: basic principle of defensive structure in soccer - compactness
showcase 05-2: basic principle of defensive function in soccer - anticipation
Factbox 06: occurrence versus Efficiency in goal scoring - implications for attacking style
In soccer more goals come from shorter team possessions (e.g. two passes or less), but longer team possessions (e.g. five passes or more passes) produce more goals per team possession. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410410001716779
Factbox 07: direct link exists between exploiting imbalance (existed and created) and successful offensive performance
Effective exploitation of spaces within and behind the last line of opponent’s defence during matches was found to be the difference between the best (Finalists) and second best (Non-finalists) at the highest level of club performance in the UEFA Champions League season. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/24748668.2017.1399326
showcase 07-1: exploiting existed imbalance - SCORING FROM OPEN PLAY BY A COUNTER ATTACK
showcase 07-2: exploiting created imbalance - SCORING FROM OPEN PLAY BY an elaborate ATTACK
showcase 07-3: exploiting existed imbalance - SCORING FROM corner BY A direct set play AttaCK
showcase 07-4: exploiting created imbalance - SCORING FROM throw-in BY An elaborate set play AttaCK
Factbox 08: most widely used small-sided games may not be fully effective for training tactical aspects in soccer
Commonly used pitch sizes in small-sided games for training match tactics in soccer often do not reflect the reality observed in different phases of the game. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2012.746722
Factbox 09: soccer academy’s double challenge - very low success rate and minimal dedication to non-soccer education
According to Arsène Wenger; only 1 % of young boys in the top academies in England become successful Premier League players and that 67 % of the players between 16 and 20 years of age who had contract in the top clubs don’t play soccer any more at the age of 21.
showcase 09-1: The pressure on young boys in the soccer academies is huge and still life after the soccer career failed is highly uncertain for the vast majority of them
“Let’s not forget what it is about in the academy; first is recruitment, number two quality of education, number three moment of integration into the first team.”
showcase 09-2: Three main stages in the path of the accomplished academy process
Factbox 10: evidence that zone-oriented defensive organization works is OVERWHELMING
Efficiency of zone-oriented defensive tactics showed over 29 times more chances to prevent a goal from open play by a balanced (0.9% conceded goals) compared to an imbalanced (21.8% conceded goals) defensive tactics in real soccer matches. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203131879/chapters/10.4324/9780203131879-40
Factbox 11: zone-oriented defensive organization proved to be efficient also in other aspects
In socccer WC 2014 zone-oriented defense style produced both fewest high-intensity activities and lowest number of conceded free kicks per match. Whilst man-oriented group-pressing defense style produced the most high-intensity activities per match and that man-oriented single-pressing defense style showed the highest risk of conceding free kicks. https://www.omicsonline.org/abstract/multiple-cases-study-of-the-effects-of-defensive-team-tactics-on-movement-intensity-and-match-performance-in-soccer-world-cup-2014/
showcase 11-1: Defensive organization in soccer - zone-oriented
showcase 11-2: Defensive organization in soccer - man-oriented single-pressing
showcase 11-3: Defensive organization in soccer - man-oriented group-pressing
Factbox 12: modern top-level soccer game exhibits higher playing tempo, less game flow and better defensE
A World Cup final match has evolved into a more intense and defensively well organised game, with increasingly small work-rest ratios, high ball speed (15%), more player density and passing rate (35%) over the 44-year period. https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(13)00083-2/fulltext
Factbox 13: Pelé [O Rei/the king] - the best player who has ever played the beautiful game of soccer
The mark of his greatness - Debut age: 15 years for Santos FC, 16 years for Brazil national team, 17 years on the world arena in the final stage of the 1958 FIFA WC in which he scored 6 goals; Records: Include among others Guinness World Record of 1281 goals in 1363 games, Brazil national team record of 77 goals in 92 games, domestic league record of 650 goals in 694 league games, 11 times (9 years consecutively) as top goalscorer in Brazilian top-flight football, record goalscorer for Santos FC; Best skills: Amazing good in virtually everything from use of both legs, dribbling, shooting, heading as a striker, to providing assists with great vision and passing ability as a playmaker; Awards & Recognitions: Include among others the only player ever to win three FIFA World Cups, won seven Ballon D’or, voted World Player of the Century, elected Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee, named Honorary President of the New York Cosmos, national treasure of Brazil and for a period he was the best-paid athlete in the world; Legacy: Include life engagements after retiring such as worldwide ambassador for football, national hero for his outspoken support for the poor, appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9