Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix
PurposeIn football, attacking has seen evolving for decades and attacking pattern detection is an important topic in this sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the general and threatening attacking patterns of different playing styles in world top football matches, which represented the l...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038733/full |
| _version_ | 1811220384517718016 |
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| author | Tianbiao Liu Chenye Zhou Xumei Shuai Li Zhang Li Zhang Jingjing Zhou Lang Yang Lang Yang |
| author_facet | Tianbiao Liu Chenye Zhou Xumei Shuai Li Zhang Li Zhang Jingjing Zhou Lang Yang Lang Yang |
| author_sort | Tianbiao Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeIn football, attacking has seen evolving for decades and attacking pattern detection is an important topic in this sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the general and threatening attacking patterns of different playing styles in world top football matches, which represented the latest evolvement of soccer attacking.MethodsAttacking sequence data of the top three teams from 21 matches in the 2018 World Cup were collected. The three teams were classified into two playing styles according to a previous study, France was a direct-play team, and Croatia and Belgium were possession-play teams. The football field was divided into 12 zones and Markov transition matrix-based zone models were applied to assess the attacking pattern in the 21 matches. Both descriptive analysis and simulative analysis were conducted using this model.ResultsThe results revealed that (1) flanker attacks were frequently taken among all three teams, and possession playing teams (Croatia and Belgium) played more often than direct playing teams (France) in their center of the midfield zone and (2) forward passes across/through zones toward the middle of attacking quarter (A1/4) have a positive impact of creating a chance of a goal.ConclusionUsing Markov transition matrix, general and threatening attacking patterns were found. The combination of possession play and counterattack was a new trend that emerged in the 2018 World Cup. These findings can help coaches to develop corresponding strategies when facing opponents of different playing styles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:40:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2fe8dc679fb34b58939d0428ac32bd53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T07:40:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2fe8dc679fb34b58939d0428ac32bd532022-12-22T03:41:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-11-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10387331038733Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrixTianbiao Liu0Chenye Zhou1Xumei Shuai2Li Zhang3Li Zhang4Jingjing Zhou5Lang Yang6Lang Yang7College of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Statistics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Physical Education and Sports Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaZhongguancun Foreign Language School, Beijing, ChinaPurposeIn football, attacking has seen evolving for decades and attacking pattern detection is an important topic in this sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the general and threatening attacking patterns of different playing styles in world top football matches, which represented the latest evolvement of soccer attacking.MethodsAttacking sequence data of the top three teams from 21 matches in the 2018 World Cup were collected. The three teams were classified into two playing styles according to a previous study, France was a direct-play team, and Croatia and Belgium were possession-play teams. The football field was divided into 12 zones and Markov transition matrix-based zone models were applied to assess the attacking pattern in the 21 matches. Both descriptive analysis and simulative analysis were conducted using this model.ResultsThe results revealed that (1) flanker attacks were frequently taken among all three teams, and possession playing teams (Croatia and Belgium) played more often than direct playing teams (France) in their center of the midfield zone and (2) forward passes across/through zones toward the middle of attacking quarter (A1/4) have a positive impact of creating a chance of a goal.ConclusionUsing Markov transition matrix, general and threatening attacking patterns were found. The combination of possession play and counterattack was a new trend that emerged in the 2018 World Cup. These findings can help coaches to develop corresponding strategies when facing opponents of different playing styles.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038733/fullsoccerMarkov chainstochastic processplaying behaviorsplaying styleoffensive sequence |
| spellingShingle | Tianbiao Liu Chenye Zhou Xumei Shuai Li Zhang Li Zhang Jingjing Zhou Lang Yang Lang Yang Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix Frontiers in Psychology soccer Markov chain stochastic process playing behaviors playing style offensive sequence |
| title | Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix |
| title_full | Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix |
| title_fullStr | Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix |
| title_short | Influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the World Cup in 2018 using a Markov state transition matrix |
| title_sort | influence of different playing styles among the top three teams on action zones in the world cup in 2018 using a markov state transition matrix |
| topic | soccer Markov chain stochastic process playing behaviors playing style offensive sequence |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038733/full |
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