Performance Analysis in Chinese Female Club Soccer Based on Offensive and Defensive Technical-Tactical Indicators

Abstract

Introduction. This study aimed to analyze how technical and tactical performance indicators differ by different match outcomes in women's soccer and apply a comprehensive approach to match analysis. Material and Methods. The investigation analyzed many technical and tactical indicators of female club players from 28 matches in the Chinese Women's Super League during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. These included both offensive and defensive indicators, such as goal kicks, clearances, interceptions, and more. Standard scores and T-scores were considered in illustrating the typical performance status of the team. In evaluating the technical and tactical performance indicators across various match outcomes, we applied non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests. This approach was taken because the data were found appropriate for the non-normal distribution, allowing the comprehensive detection of the differences across game states. Results. Kruskal-Wallis test-based statistical analysis showed that there is a substantial number of differences in team performance across slumped and high-performance phases within the games. The passable offensive indicators, such as shot frequency and forward passes, dropped significantly during the slump (p < 0.05). Amongst the defensive actions, there were significant increases. By contrast, in high-performance phases, offensive actions-shots and forward passes were significantly more frequent (p < 0.01), indicating dynamics in the change of the team approach according to the state of play. Conclusions. Our analysis showed that more offensive actions relate to a win in a match, while defensive action usually leads to a lost match. This result will offer valuable information to coaches for training and game strategies.