Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the attacking behavior of the team Real Club Deportivo Español over the seasons 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. To achieve this, the proposal is made to evaluate networks depending on the areas of the field where the ball was passed until it reached the final third. The passing impetus in the team that can be ascertained from this network over the two seasons under analysis allows us to capture the dynamics of offensive play throughout said period. It can be observed that the closing down of the flanks and a sturdy inside defense lead to ball recovery in interior zones, thus facilitating attacking play with the ball and bringing about counterattacks down the wings. Irrespective of the recovery zone (own half or opponent’s half), the progression of the attack emerged through a direct clearance along the flanks to feed finishing zones. The use of this type of analysis allows for the identification of the most likely channels to be chosen by a team to reach the final third. Future records that contemplate the type of recovery and ending, as well as the players taking part in the sequence would allow for the application of other techniques and methods, along with the analysis of the main components or factorial analysis to reduce the dimensional nature of the data involved, thus obtaining the correlation of all those categories that define each sequence or pattern of offensive play.