No abstract

Purpose. the aim of the study was to analyse the execution efficiency of core tactical principles in young soccer players and compare them among different game positions. Methods. the sample included 54 Brazilian young soccer players. tactical performance was measured by the System of tactical Assessment in Soccer with the Gr3-3Gr test in 3770 tactical actions. Friedman followed by Wilcoxon tests were used to analyse differences between tactical principles. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to compare tactical efficiency between defenders, midfielders, and forwards (p < 0.05). Results. Offensively, the results indicated that young players demonstrated less efficiency in executing the principle 'depth mobility' compared with 'penetration,' 'offensive coverage,' 'width and length,' and 'offensive unity.' regarding the defensive aspects, 'concentration' was performed more efficiently than other principles. comparisons between positions proved that midfielders and forwards executed 'offensive unity' more efficiently than defenders. Defenders tended to present high 'defensive coverage' efficiency when compared with 'midfielders.' Conclusions. High efficiency in the execution of 'concentration' represents an obstacle to make deep passes and hinders offensive movements between the last defender line and goal, given low efficiency of 'depth mobility.' Midfielders and forwards performed 'offensive unity' more efficiently than defenders. As for defensive principles, defenders presented better performance in 'defensive coverage,' giving support to the first defender. In practical applications, it is suggested that coaches of young regional soccer players carry out activities which allow depth passes to teammates as well as games to promote 'offensive unity' for defenders and 'defensive coverage' for midfielders.

O talento esportivo no futebol é determinado pela inter-relação de qualidades táticas, técnicas, físicas e psicológicas, condicionantes do rendimento. Dentre estas, a eficácia no desempenho de capacidades funcionais, a manutenção de um amplo repertório motor específico, a inteligência na tomada de decisão e o controle emocional sob a pressão imposta, possuem grande relevância. Para tanto, o processo de identificação e seleção de talentos na modalidade, bem como o acompanhamento da evolução no treinamento devem envolver procedimentos que avaliem a maior quantidade de variáveis, implicando dessa forma na redução da chance de erros de diagnóstico. O modelo de classificação multidimensional do desempenho de jovens futebolistas proposto neste estudo é constituído por testes e instrumentos amplamente utilizados na área, que são de fácil aplicação e interpretação e permitem a quantificação do rendimento global de futebolistas em formação, abrangendo indicadores em quatro dimensões.

To analyze success and failure of offensive sequences and the adopted offensive method in under-15 (U-15) and under-17 (U-17) soccer players. Methods: The sample was composed of 218 offensive sequences performed by U-15 and U-17 players selected from 28 matches, being 18 matches of an Italian team and 10 matches of a Brazilian team. All offensive sequences which ended in finalization were selected for the analysis. Using observational methodology, an adapted ad hoc observational instrument was built with the variables "number of players involved", "ball touches", "passing", "duration", and "corridor changes". Next, offensive actions were classified into three offensive game methods: counterattack , quick attack, and positional attack. Results: Results revealed that teams which use positional attack expend more time constructing an offensive play, involve extra players, and change the ball corridor more often during offensive actions when compared to counterattack and quick attack (p<0.01). Moreover, offensive efficacy did not present an association with the offensive method employed (X 2 =0.47; p=0.78). Sequences that finished in success presented significantly higher values of the number of touches (p=0.02), passes (p=0.003), and duration (p=0.01) in comparison to failure. Conclusion: The findings suggest that all offensive methods adopted can be used to reach success during a game of U-15 and U-17 soccer players.

Resumo: O presente estudo investigou os efeitos do tamanho corporal, da idade relativa (IR) e do índice de desenvolvimento humano (IDH) sobre a ascensão profissional de futebolistas brasileiros atuando na Europa. A amostra foi constituída por 309 jogadores brasileiros atuando nas 10 principais ligas europeias, conforme ranking de coeficientes de clubes da UEFA. Os dados foram coletados nos sites oficiais dos clubes, e a ascensão profissional foi classificada de acordo com o nível de participação nos campeonatos europeus. Foram aplicados os testes de Correlação de Spearman e a Regressão Logística Multinomial (p ≤ 0,05). Os jogadores nascidos no 2º trimestre do ano, bem como àqueles nascidos no 3º trimestre, têm as chances de jogar a Liga dos Campeões, comparativamente à Liga Europa, aumentadas em 84% e 67%, respectivamente, em relação aos nascidos no 4º trimestre (p = 0,01). Além disso, identificou-se que a cada 1 cm de estatura, aumenta-se em 7% as chances de o jogador atuar em uma equipe de escalão inferior (p = 0,03). Conclui-se que a IR e o tamanho corporal influenciam a ascensão profissional dos futebolistas brasileiros atuando na Europa, enquanto o IDH do local de nascimento apresenta limitado impacto sobre o nível de competição disputada por estes jogadores. Abstract: The present study investigated the effects of body size, relative age (RA), and human development index (HDI) on the professional rise of Brazilian soccer players playing in Europe. The sample consisted of 309 Brazilian players in the top 10 European leagues, according to the ranking of UEFA club coefficients. The data were collected on the official websites of the clubs, and professional advancement was classified according to the level of participation in the European championships. Spearman's Correlation and Multinomial Logistic Regression tests (p ≤ 0.05) were applied. Players born in the 2nd quarter of the year, as well as those born in the 3rd quarter, have the chance to play the Champions League, compared to the Europa League, increased by 84% and 67%, respectively, compared to those born in the 4th quarter (p = 0.01). In addition, it was identified that for every 1 cm of height, the chances of the player acting in a lower level team increased by 7% (p = 0.03). It is concluded that the RA and body size influence the professional rise of Brazilian soccer players working in Europe, while the HDI of the place of birth has limited impact on the level of competition disputed by these players.  Resumen: El presente estudio investigó los efectos del tamaño corporal, la edad relativa (IR) y el índice de desarrollo humano (IDH) en el crecimiento profesional de los futbolistas brasileños que trabajan en Europa. La muestra consistió en 309 jugadores brasileños que juegan en las 10 mejores ligas europeas, según el ranking de coeficientes de clubes de la UEFA. Los datos se recopilaron en los sitios web oficiales de los clubes, y el avance profesional se clasificó según el nivel de participación en los campeonatos europeos. Se aplicaron pruebas de ANOVA unidireccional, correlación de Spearman y regresión logística multinomial (p ≤ 0.05). Los jugadores nacidos en el segundo trimestre del año, así como los nacidos en el tercer trimestre, tienen la oportunidad de jugar la Liga de Campeones, en comparación con la Liga de Europa, aumentó en un 84% y 67%, respectivamente, en comparación con los nacidos en el cuarto trimestre (p = 0.01). Además, se identificó que, por cada 1 cm de altura, las posibilidades de que el jugador actúe en un equipo de nivel inferior aumentaron en 7% (p = 0.03). Se concluye que el IR y el tamaño del cuerpo influyen en el ascenso profesional de los futbolistas brasileños que trabajan en Europa, mientras que el IDH del lugar de nacimiento tiene un impacto limitado en el nivel de competencia disputado por estos jugadores.