Multidimensional scaling analysis of soccer dynamics

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2017

Authors

JA Tenreiro Machado (Author) Other; António Mendes Lopes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Applied Mathematical Modelling

Vol. 45

Pages: 642-652

ISSN: 0307-904X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 14 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 16 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-WBE

DOI: 10.1016/j.apm.2017.01.029

Abstract (EN): This paper studies the behavior of teams competing within soccer national leagues. The dissimilarities between teams are measured using the match results at each round and that information feeds a multidimensional scaling (MDS) algorithm for visualizing teams' performance. Data characterizing four European leagues during season 2014-2015 is adopted and processed using three distinct approaches. In the first, one dissimilarity matrix and one MDS map per round are generated. After, Procrustes analysis is applied to linearly transform the MDS charts for maximum superposition and to build one global MDS representation for the whole season. In the second approach, all data is combined into one dissimilarity matrix leading to a single global MDS chart. In the third approach, the results per round are used to generate time series for all teams. Then, the time series are compared, generating a dissimilarity matrix and the corresponding MDS map. In all cases, the points on the maps represent teams state up to a given round. The set of points corresponding to each team forms a locus representative of its performance versus time.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11