José Leitão

Match analysis in football: a systematic review

Abstract The main focus of this paper was to review the available literature on match analysis in adult male football. The most common research topics were identified, their methodologies described and the evolutionary tendencies of this research area systematised. A systematic review of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge database was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. The following keywords were used: football and soccer, each one associated with the terms: match analysis, performance analysis, notational analysis, game analysis, tactical analysis and patterns of play. Of 2732 studies initially identified, only 53 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures abstracted and analysed. Studies that fit all inclusion criteria were organised according to their research design as descriptive, comparative or predictive. Results showed that 10 studies focused predominantly on a description of technical, tactical and physical performance variables. From all comparative studies, the dependent variables more frequently used were “playing position” and “competitive level”. Even though the literature stresses the importance of developing predictive models of sports performance, only few studies (n = 8) have focused on modelling football performance. Situational variables like game location, quality of opposing teams, match status and match half have been progressively included as object of research, since they seem to work as effective covariables of football performance. Taking into account the limitations of the reviewed studies, future research should provide comprehensive operational definitions for the studied variables, use standardised categories and description of activities and participants, and consider integrating the situational and interactional contexts into the analysis of football performance.

Patterns of Play in the Counterattack of Elite Football Teams - A Mixed Method Approach

This study aimed to detect and analyse regular patterns of play in football teams during their offensive phase, through the combination of the sequential analysis technique and semi-structured interviews of experienced first League Portuguese coaches. The sample included 36 games (12 per team) of the F.C. Barcelona, Internazionalle Milano, and Manchester United teams that were analysed through sequential analysis with the software SDIS-GSEQ. Based on the detected patterns, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 8 expert high-performance football coaches. Data were analysed through the content analysis technique using the software Nvivo 9. The detected patterns of play revealed specific characteristics of different philosophies of play. Through the performed content analysis we could observe that coaches interpreting play patterns mainly based their opinions on tactical-strategic and tactical-technical aspects, and on the characteristics of the players on their team. On the other hand, consideration was given to three of the main evolutionary trends of play/soccer practice, which focus on the development of exercises that cover: i) the connection between the four play moments (offensive/defensive organization and transitions); ii) the pre-programmed ball possession recovery; iii) the execution of set pieces.

English Premier League, Spaińs La Liga and Italýs Seriés A – What’s Different?

Our study aimed to understand which aspects are most important by coaches in the characterization of the three best European Football Leagues (English Premier League, Spaińs La Liga and Italýs Seriés A). The sample included 8 expert high-performance Portuguese First League football coaches. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and data were analysed through Content Analysis. The interviewed coaches believe that what distinguished the style of play in the different leagues is due essentially to: cultural factors; strategictactical factors; and, specific players’ skills. They considered that: the English league is characterized by a direct style of play; the Italian league continues to be characterized by the defensive tactical rigor; and, the Spanish league favors the aesthetic side of the game and having greater control over throughout the game. Our coaches felt that what mostly differentiates these teams is culturally-influenced whereby distinct ways of playing have been created through history. In addition, they also referred to strategic and tactical aspects, players’ characteristics and the coach’s philosophy. Appreciating the cultural aspects that contribute to the creation of distinct playing styles may be useful for coaches who work in new clubs/cultures and want their players to adapt to his methods and improve performance.