Val1
07 Jun 2008, 11:02 PM
I watched the Portugal - Turkey game this afternoon, and as I did so, I charted Deco for the game. I'm trying to develop a methodology for quantifying to some degree the game.
Deco came out in about the 88th minute. There was 1 minute of stoppage time in the first half, and 2 minutes in the second half, so he played 89 of 93 minutes.
For the game, Deco had 42 possessions, split evenly 21 in the first half, 21 in the second half. He had 14 turnovers, 5 in the first half and 9 in the second half.
I define a possession as anytime a player has a ball, whether at his feet on the dribble or making a pass/shot. Even heading a ball away from a corner is a possession. A throw-in or free kick is not a possesion. A turnover is when a player loses the ball in possession or loses the ball, either by making a poor pass to the other team or even if an opposing team member makes a great interception. For my purposes, a poor pass that a teammate is able to field/play, even if it puts the teammate in a poor position, is not a turnover for the passing player. It is a turnover for the receiving player. And lastly, methodologically, a shot is never a turnover, even if it goes straight at the keeper. Scoring goals is the object of the game, after all.
Anyway, 42 possessions for Deco and 14 turnovers. I also like to see who Deco plays to/ passes with for this team. For this game, the players who looked to him the most were Simao, Carvalho, Bosingwa, and Ferreira. This quartet got him the ball about 5 times each. Interestingly absent, were many passes from Costinho (1 pass), Petit, (no passes) and Nunyo Gomez (1 pass).
I find it interesting that the midfielders of Portugal didn't get the ball into his feet as often as the defenders. Deco's distribution was more egalitarian: Ronaldo (5 passes), Simao (3 passes), Petit (2), Costinho (3), Bosingwa (4), Ferriera (3), Pepe (2), Nani (2).
At the 65 minute mark, he'd received just one pass from Ronaldo and made just two passes to Ronaldo. Over the next 20 minutes, he got the ball from Ronaldo twice and gave it to Ronaldo 3 times. This is also the period of time when even as Turkey was pressing the most, Portugal played their best ball and ended up getting the goals.
One more methodological note: I have gone back to re-watch games to see if I'd get the same counts, i.e. would I have the same number of possessions and turnovers. I'm very consistent. If I saw this game again, I'm sure I wouldn't be off more than 1 or 2 possessions. As to passed to and received from Deco, well, that's a little more subjective until I can recognize every player. Even though Gomez was wearing the captain's armband, I had a lot of trouble distinguishing between Gomez and Costinho.
Deco came out in about the 88th minute. There was 1 minute of stoppage time in the first half, and 2 minutes in the second half, so he played 89 of 93 minutes.
For the game, Deco had 42 possessions, split evenly 21 in the first half, 21 in the second half. He had 14 turnovers, 5 in the first half and 9 in the second half.
I define a possession as anytime a player has a ball, whether at his feet on the dribble or making a pass/shot. Even heading a ball away from a corner is a possession. A throw-in or free kick is not a possesion. A turnover is when a player loses the ball in possession or loses the ball, either by making a poor pass to the other team or even if an opposing team member makes a great interception. For my purposes, a poor pass that a teammate is able to field/play, even if it puts the teammate in a poor position, is not a turnover for the passing player. It is a turnover for the receiving player. And lastly, methodologically, a shot is never a turnover, even if it goes straight at the keeper. Scoring goals is the object of the game, after all.
Anyway, 42 possessions for Deco and 14 turnovers. I also like to see who Deco plays to/ passes with for this team. For this game, the players who looked to him the most were Simao, Carvalho, Bosingwa, and Ferreira. This quartet got him the ball about 5 times each. Interestingly absent, were many passes from Costinho (1 pass), Petit, (no passes) and Nunyo Gomez (1 pass).
I find it interesting that the midfielders of Portugal didn't get the ball into his feet as often as the defenders. Deco's distribution was more egalitarian: Ronaldo (5 passes), Simao (3 passes), Petit (2), Costinho (3), Bosingwa (4), Ferriera (3), Pepe (2), Nani (2).
At the 65 minute mark, he'd received just one pass from Ronaldo and made just two passes to Ronaldo. Over the next 20 minutes, he got the ball from Ronaldo twice and gave it to Ronaldo 3 times. This is also the period of time when even as Turkey was pressing the most, Portugal played their best ball and ended up getting the goals.
One more methodological note: I have gone back to re-watch games to see if I'd get the same counts, i.e. would I have the same number of possessions and turnovers. I'm very consistent. If I saw this game again, I'm sure I wouldn't be off more than 1 or 2 possessions. As to passed to and received from Deco, well, that's a little more subjective until I can recognize every player. Even though Gomez was wearing the captain's armband, I had a lot of trouble distinguishing between Gomez and Costinho.