Abstract
Research in soccer has traditionally given more weight to players' technical and tactical skills, but few studies have analyzed the motor skills that underpin specific motor actions. The objective of this study was to investigate the style of play of the world's top soccer players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and how they use their motor skills in attacking actions that result in a goal. We used and improved the easy-to-use observation instrument (OSMOS-soccer player) with 9 criteria, each one expanded to build 50 categories. Associations between these categories were investigated by T-pattern detection and polar coordinate analysis. T-pattern analysis detects temporal structures of complex behavioral sequences composed of simpler or directly distinguishable events within specified observation periods (time point series). Polar coordinate analysis involves the application of a complex procedure to provide a vector map of interrelated behaviors obtained from prospective and retrospective sequential analysis. The T-patterns showed that for both players the combined criteria were mainly between the different aspects of motor skills, namely the use of lower limbs, contact with the ball using the outside of the foot, locomotion, body orientation with respect to the opponent goal line, and the criteria of technical actions and the right midfield. Polar coordinate analysis detected significant associations between the same criteria included in the T-patterns as well as the criteria of turning the body, numerical equality with no pressure, and relative numerical superiority.
Highlights
Soccer performance research is broadly developed and implemented (Ali, 2011), contributing to a rapid and continuous enhancement of players’ performance in the last few years (Lago-Ballesteros et al, 2012)
Other detectable aspects shown on the frequency chart are the fact that Messi used his left foot (LF) in 8 configurations and his right foot (RF) in 1 configuration
The objective of this study was to perform an objective analysis of Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s use of motor skills prior to scoring a goal using the complementary methods of T-pattern analysis and polar coordinate analysis
Summary
Soccer performance research is broadly developed and implemented (Ali, 2011), contributing to a rapid and continuous enhancement of players’ performance in the last few years (Lago-Ballesteros et al, 2012). Given the complexities and dynamic nature of soccer, observation and measurement processes throughout the design of match analysis systems have made it possible to collect data by embracing technical, behavioral, physical, and tactical factors (Carling et al, 2005). Behavioral specific and representative information is continuously apprehended from the environment by dynamical movement systems, to structure and to adapt functional patterns of play. This sensibility to contextual information regulates the motor system number of biomechanical degrees of freedom, more critical than attending each behavior separately, is to form and Competition
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