Pequenos jogos no futebol: influência do critério de composição das equipes e das capacidades táticas e físicas no comportamento de jovens jogadores

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the influence of aerobic power (1), speed performance (2), and tactical knowledge (3), as well as the use of these capacities as team composition criteria (4) on the tactical behavior, physical demands, and interactions between teammates during soccersmall-sided games. Eighteen male U-17 elite soccer players participated in this study. Firstly, athletes performed tests to evaluate their tactical knowledge (FUT-SAT), aerobic power (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2), and speed performance (sprint of 20 meters). Afterthese, for each team composition criteria, six 3-a-side teams were composed, which the three first teams (group 1) with a higher ranking in each specific criteria and the three last teams (group 2) composed by the players with the lowest ranking. Each team played 3vs.3 small-sidedgames against the other two teams at the same group, each SSG composed by two series lasting 4 minutes with the same time of passive recovery. Tactical behavior was assessed by the analysis of the incidence and percentage of successful fundamental tactical principles. Physicaldemands were analyzed through a 15Hz GPS device coupled with a 100Hz triaxial accelerometer. The interactions between teammates were analyzed through the general network analysis (density, total Links and clustering coefficient). A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to analyze the influence of the team composition criteria, while anindependent t-test was used to investigate the influence of the players tactical knowledge, aerobic power and speed performance on the game demands. In both analysis, the level of significance was kept in 5%. Results appointed no influence of the team composition criteriaon the physical demands and players interactions, although a better tactical behavior was reported when the team composition criteria was based on the tactical knowledge. Players with a higher tactical knowledge presented a more cooperative behavior represented by a higher levelof interaction and a better tactical performance than those with the lowest tactical knowledge. Players with the highest aerobic power presented higher physical demands than those with the lowest level. On the other hand, players with the lowest speed performance presented higherphysical demands and a better tactical performance compared to those with the highest performance on this capacity. It was concluded that the team composition criteria only influences players tactical behavior and performance On the other hands, the individual capacities influenced the tactical behavior, the network properties and physical demands, whichneeds to be taken into account by researchers and soccer coaches in order to better use smallsided games during the soccer training process