Research article - (2010)09, 288 - 293
Game-Related Statistics that Discriminated Winning, Drawing and Losing Teams from the Spanish Soccer League
Carlos Lago-Peñas1,, Joaquín Lago-Ballesteros1, Alexandre Dellal2, Maite Gómez3
1University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain
2University of Sports Sciences, Strasbourg, France and National Center of Medicine and Science in Sport, Tunis, Tunisia
3European University of Madrid, Spain

Carlos Lago-Peñas
✉ Faculty of Education and Sports Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
Email: clagop@uvigo.es
Received: 26-01-2010 -- Accepted: 24-03-2010
Published (online): 01-06-2010

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to analyze men’s football competitions, trying to identify which game-related statistics allow to discriminate winning, drawing and losing teams. The sample used corresponded to 380 games from the 2008-2009 season of the Spanish Men’s Professional League. The game-related statistics gathered were: total shots, shots on goal, effectiveness, assists, crosses, offsides commited and received, corners, ball possession, crosses against, fouls committed and received, corners against, yellow and red cards, and venue. An univariate (t-test) and multivariate (discriminant) analysis of data was done. The results showed that winning teams had averages that were significantly higher for the following game statistics: total shots (p < 0.001), shots on goal (p < 0.01), effectiveness (p < 0.01), assists (p < 0.01), offsides committed (p < 0.01) and crosses against (p < 0.01). Losing teams had significantly higher averages in the variable crosses (p < 0.01), offsides received (p < 0. 01) and red cards (p < 0.01). Discriminant analysis allowed to conclude the following: the variables that discriminate between winning, drawing and losing teams were the total shots, shots on goal, crosses, crosses against, ball possession and venue. Coaches and players should be aware for these different profiles in order to increase knowledge about game cognitive and motor solicitation and, therefore, to evaluate specificity at the time of practice and game planning.

Key words: Association football, game-related statistics, discriminant analysis, match analysis

Key Points
  • This paper increases the knowledge about soccer match analysis.
  • Give normative values to establish practice and match objectives.
  • Give applications ideas to connect research with coaches’ practice.








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