How Reaching the Pitch’s Final Third is Related to Scoring Opportunities in Soccer? (Cómo la invasión del último tercio del campo se relaciona con las oportunidades en el fútbol?)

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the association between the criteria related to the final third entries (how, where, and spatial pattern of interaction between teams) and the success of offensive unities in elite soccer. We analyzed 3327 final third entries from 30 matches of the 2019 Copa do Brasil (Brazilian cup, from the round of 16 to the final). To analyze the associations between criteria and the attacking outcome, we used an association chi-square test (contingency tables) with the significance level set in p <0.05. Results showed that the criteria “central corridor” (z=5.5), “ball recovery” (z=6.8), “midline vs. offensive line” (z=2.9), “offensive line vs. backline” (z=2.6), and “offensive line vs. empty zone” (z=4.0) were positively associated with successful offensive unities. We suggest that professional teams should try to achieve the final third through the central corridor, with offensive compactness, and forward passes to overcome the defensive lines. Defensively, teams should protect the central corridor, direct the opponent to the sides of the pitch, and closely defend the ball carrier.
 Resumen. El propósito del studio fue identificar la asociación entre los criterios de entrada en el último tercio (como, donde y configuración espacial de interacción) y el éxito de las unidades ofensivas en el fútbol de elite. Fueron analizados 3327 entradas en el ultimo tercio de 30 partidos de Copa do Brasil de 2019 (Copa del Brasil, octavas de finales a finales). Para analizar las asociaciones entre los criterios y los resultados de los ataques, se utilizó la prueba de asosicación de chi-cuadrado (tablas de contingencia) con p <0.05. Los resultados mostraron que los critérios pasillo central (z=5.5), recuperación de balón (z=6.8), línea media vs. línea adelantada (z=2.9), línea adelantada vs. línea retrasada (z=2.6), y línea adelantada vs. portero (z=4.0) se asociaron positivamente con el éxito de las unidades ofensivas. Luego, se sugiere que las equipos profesionales utilizen el pasillo central, con compactación ofensiva y usando pases que superen las líneas defensivas. Defensivamente, los equipos devem proteger el pasillo central, dirigir al oponente a los lados del campo, y presionar constantemente el portador de balón.

Description of the Collective Behavior in Competition of Young Soccer Players Under-16 (U-16), Under-17 (U-17), Under-19 (U-19), and Under-23 (U-23), Considering the Areas of the Pitch and Phases of the Game

“…In particular, U-19 and U-23 increased the variability of the length of the team in POS4 (possession in zone 4), and in the case of U-19, also its area. This could be justified by the fact that top-tier teams in soccer competition have the power to explore the space behind the defensive line (e.g., getting away from markers), which is a behavior usually related to the effectiveness or success of teams (2).…”

Key Performance Indicators Predictive of Success in Soccer: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Greek Soccer League

“…Furthermore, several studies [ 25 , 27 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ] underscore the tactical relevance of crosses, particularly in challenging match situations, such as the utility of crosses in generating goal-scoring opportunities, with research [ 35 , 36 ] illustrating their effectiveness in different leagues and field locations. Moreover, several researchers [ 14 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ] highlight the relationship between ball possession, passing accuracy, and game metrics such as goals and shots. These studies present a complex picture of the variables influencing success in professional soccer, highlighting the need for continual adaptation in coaching and player performance.…”

How the Game of Soccer can Foster Creative Research in Natural Sciences

“…Still, it would be erroneous to conclude based on this that the advice given by Ljupko Petrović to Siniša Mihajlović before the beginning of the 1991 Champions Cup final between Red Star Belgrade and Olympique de Marseille, which was to hand the ball over to the opponent as soon as one receives it, or the advice given by pundits to the Spanish national team at the 2022 World Cup, which was to employ a basketball coach who would limit the endless tiki-taka cornering of the opponent to 24 seconds or so long attacks, let alone the idea that the runand-gun displays of heedless individual play common in American basketball should be applied by the MLS teams, when in reality it is the quality of the passes and the allaround understanding of the positional aspects of the game that are to be improved. A concordant study determined that most goals in soccer are scored when the final third is reached through the central corridor, prompting the researchers to recommend, rather tautologically, that the teams compact the offense and continue exploring the central spaces and then, during defense, to direct the opponent to the sideline (Guimarães et al 2022), disregarding that the right approach could never be one-sided and is always dependent on the tactical principles employed by the opponent and the sets of skills possessed by both teams. Another recent study determined that teams positioning one or more players at both posts concede most goals from set pieces (Beregi 2019), which may be casually, albeit erroneously, taken as a refutation of the idea that there are situations where playing without the offside trap and packing "the bus and the boat and the airplane" (Westwood 2021), to quote Jose Mourinho, near the goal line provides the only viable means of defending the goal.…”