The modern match analysis comprises more than only the evaluation of a duel quote or the kilometers covered by now -because it became clear that the data does neither determine a victory nor a defeat. The exact detection of the position data of every player and each ball enables significantly complex analysis with innovative key performance indices.
The Institute of Cognition and Team/ Racket Sport Research of the German Sport University Cologne analyzed the position data of 50 players of the German Bundesliga season in 2014/2015 The generated 11.160 performance values thereby were evaluated with the special devolved analyzing tool SOCCER. SOCCER combines conventional data analysis, dynamic condition-event-modelling and artificial neural networks. Events like ball winning or ball loss are thereby invoiced by the position of the player or the ball.
Here, among others, the evaluation of the space performance brings substantial results. A closer look on the games, which were won with a difference of two goals at least, shows that the winning teams achieve significantly higher scores in playmaking especially. Furthermore, they have a higher score in the passes played passed by the opponents, they quickly compact space after losing the ball and when they attack they also create more space with passes played inside the attacking zone and inside the opponent’s penalty area.
Also the performances of all winning and losing teams were compared to each other. Winning teams have an explicit advantage for all passes played between and inside the defense zone and midfield as well as for vertically played passes in the attacking zone. On average the face less opponents. Furthermore, winning teams play more passes played passed by the opponents from defense to midfield.
Moreover, teams located in the upper and in the bottom third of the league table were compared to each other. The supposedly better teams controlled more space in the attacking zone an in midfield. Here, especially the playmaking plays a decisive role. The results of good playmaking are more passes played passed by the opponents as well as more space gained and a better control of the space in the attacking zone. Successful teams compact space more quickly after losing the ball.
These new results serve as a support to the work of professional squads in the Bundesliga, youth development in youth high-performance centers and trainer education.