How Reaching the Pitch’s Final Third is Related to Scoring Opportunities in Soccer?

• Autor(a) principal: João Pedro Guimarães
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Marcelo Rochael, André Gustavo Pereira de Andrade, Sarah da Glória Teles Bredt, Gibson Moreira Praça
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFMG
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v43i0.88750; http://hdl.handle.net/1843/60603; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9971-7308
• topic: Soccer; Match analysis; Observational methodology; Offensive organization; Futebol; Futebol - Brasil

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.