Argentina’s Network Analysis in FIFA World Cup 2014: A Case Study

This chapter aims to identify how digraph analysis can be used in the scientific analysis of team sports. Therefore, a case study of Argentina’s football team during FIFA World Cup 2014 was carried out. The one-way ANOVA tested the variance between tactical positions in the centrality measures of players. Another analysis of variance was made to test the general properties of graphs in different phases of tournament. Finally, the relationship between general measurements and team’s performance was analysed. A total of 7 matches from the Argentina during FIFA World Cup 2014 tournament were analyzed and codified in this case study. The results found statistical differences between tactical positions in centrality measurements. No statistical differences were found between phases of tournament in general measurements. It were found significance correlations of shots with total links and density.

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