20 Nov Scientific rigor at the service of the coach: Which LALIGA EA Sports team are we talking about?
Advanced analytics not only breaks down a team’s performance into numbers but also transform it into actionable knowledge for coaching staff. Here, we present an anonymous analysis of a LALIGA EA Sports team from the 2023/24 season that highlights the power of data when combined with qualitative analysis tools like Mediacoach Vision and Desktop. Can you figure out which team this is?
Report Results:
Keys to Optimizing This Team’s Performance
1. Matches Won: The team sets the rhythm
- Own strengths: In wins, this team dominates the rhythm of the match with a positive balance between recoveries and losses, showing control in midfield and transitions. Furthermore, their solidity in defending set-pieces minimizes the opponents’ chances.
- Opponents in these losses: Rivals display lower intensity and organizational problems in defense, weaknesses that this team effectively exploits.
- Qualitative validation: Video analysis with Mediacoach Vision confirms that in these matches, the team successfully executes its counter-pressing strategy and capitalizes on spaces created by opponent errors.
- Recommendation: Maintain control of the midfield, strengthen high pressing, and exploit defensive mistakes from the opposition.
2. Matches Drawn: Lack of sharpness in key moments
- Own strengths: The team maintains a balanced performance, with a neutral recovery-to-loss ratio. Their defending on set-pieces remains acceptable, although not as strong as in victories.
- Weaknesses: In these matches, the team struggles to create depth and creativity in offensive transitions, limiting its ability to break down compact defenses.
- Opponents in these games: Rivals manage to reorganize defensively, making it difficult for the team to create clear goal-scoring opportunities.
- Qualitative validation: Using Mediacoach Desktop, we observe that in these matches, the team lacked the movements needed to break defensive lines and struggled to create overloads in attacking areas.
- Recommendation: Introduce offensive variations to break down organized defenses, such as quick switches of play, exploiting wing spaces, or increasing aggressiveness in the final third.
3. Matches Lost: Overwhelmed by the opponents’ intensity
- Own weaknesses: In losses, the team loses control of the ball and the rhythm of the match, showing a negative recovery-to-loss ratio. Furthermore, there is a disconnect in their counter-pressing, allowing opponents to capitalize on quick transitions.
- Opponents in these wins: Rivals excel in dynamism, covering greater distances at high intensity with the ball and exploiting defensive gaps.
- Qualitative validation: Through Mediacoach Vision, key moments are identified where opponents’ quick transitions disrupt the team’s organization, creating defensive vulnerabilities.
- Recommendation: Strengthen counter-pressing to limit the rivals’ quick transitions, improve mid-block defensive organization, and close down spaces in critical areas.
A Success Story from LALIGA’s Football Intelligence & Sports Performance Area
The coaching staff of this team already understands these patterns thanks to the work of LALIGA’s Football Intelligence & Sports Performance Area and tools like Mediacoach Vision and Desktop. Our approach combines scientific rigor with qualitative analysis, enabling coaches to interpret data in context and apply it directly on the field.
The motto is clear: «Scientific rigor at the service of the coach.» Data not only describe what happens but, when combined with qualitative analysis, transform into actionable strategies that make a difference in performance.
Appendix: Methodology
- Total metrics analyzed: More than 60 collective metrics were evaluated, assessing both the team’s and their opponents’ performances.
- Procedure:
- Matches were classified into three categories: won, drawn, and lost.
- For each group, metrics were analyzed from two perspectives: the team’s performance and the opponents’ performance.
- Significant metrics were identified through variance analysis (ANOVA) to detect relevant patterns for each type of result.
- Qualitative validation: Data observations were corroborated through video analysis using Mediacoach Vision and Desktop, ensuring an integrated and comprehensive approach.
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