Comparison of successful offensive sequences in the group stage of 2018 FIFA World Cup: eliminated vs. qualified teams

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to compare the offensive sequences that resulted in goals in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup according to teams’ status: eliminated versus qualified for the knockout phase. Successful offensive sequences performed in the group stage by eliminated (n = 39) and qualified teams (n = 83) were notated post-event using an adapted version of the Offensive Sequences Characterisation System, which includes simple and composite performance indicators. Magnitude-based inferences revealed that performances indicators Passes/Duration, Passes/Ball touches, Players/Duration and Passes/Players were key to differentiate eliminated and qualified teams. Performance profiles emerging from qualified teams suggest the ability to impose a faster game pace (of ball passing and collective involvement) is more relevant to offensive effectiveness in elite football than the mere amount of sport-specific actions performed. Although offensive sequences with more passes, ball touches and duration had a possible positive effect on reaching the knockout phase, the offensive behaviours of qualified teams highlighted the importance of ‘quality possession’. Indeed, offensive sequences involving more players (teamwork) and favouring ball passing instead of individual ball retention seem to facilitate the emergence of goal-scoring events. Considering these findings, professional coaches are encouraged to design playing-form activities aiming to promote team-based offensive strategies, including task constraints to increase the game pace and the frequency of ‘penetrating passes’ into vital playing areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Football
• notational analysis
• team performance
• technical component
• contextual variables

Practical implications

Considering the aforementioned findings, professional football coaches are encouraged to propose on a regular basis different playing-form activities comprising one or more of the following requirements:

A minimum of 5 players per team (including goalkeeper) to enable the development of team-based offensive strategies;

Put one ‘floater’ playing for the attacking team (numerical superiority), with a time limit to end the offensive sequence successfully (e.g., 25 s), for increasing the pace of ball passing and of collective involvement;

Apply spatial constraints to defenders for stimulating ‘penetrating passes’ into (and within) the attacking third of the pitch, which often creates favourable conditions for goal achievement;

Game-play (re)starts with dead-ball situations (e.g., corners, free-kicks) to improve goal scoring from these circumstances.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Tiago Salvador for his valuable collaboration in inter-reliability testing procedures. Also, both anonymous reviewers should be acknowledged for their insightful comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. This piece of research is dedicated to Carlos Jorge de Almeida, the author’s firstborn son – the world is a different place now!

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.