WORLD CUP 2010:

An Analysis

Dr.Victor Stanculescu

“It was not exactly what we have expected or what I expected in terms of fair play in the final yesterday."
--Sepp Blatter at the closing World Cup press conference.
BENEFITS OF THE WORLD CUP
EachWorld Cup
establishes a new “order”
in football

National FAs review the

The specialists analyze
national master plan
the event and define new
developmental programs
strategies and directions
for 4-8-12 years

The concept of
performance is
recalibrated towards a
new Game,Training and
Recovery 2
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
Three
dimensional
System of
Performance

Science and
Study
business of
the Game
done Game
Profiling
through:

Direct and
Indirect
Review of
the Games
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Is there a Need for Three World Cup
Events?

ELITE EVENT

SECOND TIER EVENT

THIRD TIER EVENT

16 24 32
National National National
Teams Teams Teams

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QUALITY AND PROFESSIONALIZATION

Bridge the gap

from Quantity to
Quality

NEEDS
implied by
the latest
World Cup
Allow each of the
Professionalization
208 FA a renewed
of Member
commitment to
Associations
success

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MINIMUM TWO-MONTH PREPARATION
TIME PRIOR TO THE WORLD CUP

April 1-14 Vacation and

medical treatment

April 15-30 General

Preparation

May 1-14 Specific

preparation

May 15-31 Pre-competition

games

June 1-14 Final Preparations

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PROFESSIONALIZATION =
Balancing the Teams

MANAGERIAL TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC

TEAM TEAM TEAM

Association Medical Doctor

Head Coach
Trainer
Technical Center
Assistant Coaches MassageTherapist
League
Nutritionist
Other Professionals
Managers Exercise Physiologist

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PLAY 60-65 MINUTES EFFECTIVELY

No substitute
in the 94
minutes of the
game

Effective time
for both teams PLAYING Injury time not
counting
will equal
EFFECTIVE
TIME of
60-65 MINUTES
PER GAME
Avoid in
tournaments 4
Avoid referee
parts times 2-
extra-time
3-4 (Minimum
8-12-16)

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REPLAY ON STADIA’S PROJECTION
SCREENS
• Imperative that replay situations on the stadia’s electronic screens are made possible.
• Almost all games of theWorld Cup 2010 were clearly showcasing situations where the
referees’ decisions were against the actual game situation (visible on TV replays).
• New technology exists to allows referees a superior control of the game and confidence over
objective decisions.

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REFEREE PROFESSIONALIZATION

• (14-18 • (19-23
year olds) year olds)

Junior Youth
Referees Referees

Panel Adult
judges Referees
• (over 50 • (24-50
yr olds) year old)

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FREE SUBSTITUTIONS 16-18 PLAYERS

Better
Avoid injuries
performance
and time to
with longer
recover
playing life

Special Allow more

strategies for players a chance
various games to play

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STOP FAULTING – 15 min. Elimination
STOPTHE FIGHT AND INTENTIONAL FAULT!
• Degeneration of the game in Penalty Area (hold, push, catch/kick with
hands, elbows, head, etc.)
• After a dribble, player losing control is faulting
• In heading, the players jump, closing eyes while kicking violently by
head and hands
• While running, the player with the ball in control kicks with elbows
• Players without ball are jumping and using a two-leg fault to taken
down the player with the ball
• Playing with hands becomes an “accepted” version of playing.

Eliminate faulting player for 15 minutes and

use two eliminations per same game to
imply a two consequent game suspension.

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WHAT DOES A WORLD CUP STUDY DO?
Coaches and Players

Adding ideas and observations to their individual strategies

National Football Associations

Adjusting the master plan and development plan program for 2010-20144

World Cup
Implying new directions for future events
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REALIGNING THE LAWS OF PROFESSIONAL
SUCCESS
Seeing the wider global picture
of the game
•World football
•Continental football
•National football

Head Coach Unity in diversity

•Talent •Naturalization
•Education •Foreign Coach
•Professionalism •Player mix
•Social model

Concept of Performance Partnership

•Playing •Self-discipline and team discipline
•Training •Club owners and national teams
•Recovering

Super professionals
•Head coaches
•Scientific team
•External specialists

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 POSSIBLE STRATA OF ATTRIBUTES
1.
TALENT
2.
KNOWLEDGE

3.
CREATIVITY

4. 1.
MOTIVATION TALENT
2.
CREATIVITY
3.
MOTIVATION
COACH 4.
KNOWLEDGE
1.
TALENT
2.
CREATIVITY
PLAYER 3.
KNOWLEDGE
4.
MOTIVATION

15 REFEREE
WINNING FORMULAS
Spain
1. 2. 3. LATIN Brazil
Business Art Science MODEL Argentina
Italy
France

ANGLO- England
1. 2. 3. USA
SAXON
Business Science Art MODEL New Zealand
Australia

Netherlands
1. 2. 3. MIX Germany
Business Art Science MODEL Ghana
South Korea

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 NATIONAL CONCEPT OF PERFORMANCE
Nr. Main Factors Playing Training Recovery Total
1 Spain 10 9 10 29
2 Netherlands 8 9 9 26
3 Germany 8 9 8 25
4 Uruguay 8 8 8 24
Place 30 32 33

30

25

20
Recovery
15 Training
Playing
10

17 0
Spain Netherlands Germany Uruguay
 INTERPRETING THE NEW CONCEPT OF PERFORMANCE

PRINCIPLES METHODS
• Attack • Individual
• Defense • Small groups (2-5)
• Transition and/or Set Plays • Large groups (6-8)

SKILLS STRATEGIES
• Attack • Attack, Defense, Set Plays
• Defense • Play at 0-0; Play at 0-1;
• Set plays Play at 1-0
• Playing Zone 1, Playing
INTERPRETING Zone 2, Playing Zone 3
THE NEW
CONCEPT OF
PERFORMANCE

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EVALUATING THE LAST TWO GAMES
Evaluation of 10 game factors, (1 lowest, 10 highest)
Nr. Main Game Factors Spain Nether- Germany Uruguay Total Place
lands
1 Mental /Concept 10 6 8 8 32 4
2 Physical –Energy Management 9 8 8 8 33 3
3 Attack strategies 9 8 8 7 31 5
4 Defense Strategies 9 6 7 7 30 6
5 Set Plays Strategies 8 7 8 7 30 6
6 Playing 3-zones 10 9 8 9 36 1
7 Winning Strategies 9 8 9 8 34 2
8 Referees 3 3 6 6 18 9
9 Players’ value 10 6 8 7 31 7
10 Coaches’ value 10 6 7 6 29 8
TOTAL 79 67 77 73
PLACE 1 4 2 3

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EVALUATING THE LAST TWO GAMES
Evaluation of 10 game factors, (1 lowest, 10 highest)
100

90

80

70
Coaches’ value
Players’ value
60
Referees
Winning Strategies
50 Playing 3-zones
Set Plays Strategies

40 Defense Strategies
Attack strategies
Physical –Energy Management
30
Mental /Concept

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10

0
Spain Nether-lands Germany Uruguay
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NO PLAYING SYSTEM
ThisWorld Cup did not present playing systems but rather playing positions in the field:
• In own field, in the middle field & in the opponent’s field (penalty area)
• Zone 1: 1-15/20m around ball = Total concentration
• Zone 2: Transition zone 15-30m around the ball; with 50% concentration, and
• Zone 3: From 30m to the end of the field with 25% concentration, or 100% in counter-attack
situations.

Opponent Goal Playing free kick

IN ATTACK AND IN
PLAYING IN ATTACK

DEFENSE
Opponent Goal

PLAYING IN DEFENSE
2-2-6 in attack and
2-3-5
defense
2-3-5 3-4-3
Replay from sides
3-3-4 4-3-3 in own field and
3-3-4 4-4-2 in opponent’s
field.
3-4-3 4-5-1
4-4-2 5-5

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COMMUNICATION

Coach

Verbal and non-verbal communication

Team
Individual Player

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7 GAMES IN 30 DAYS!

Nutrition
Overall Mental Physical Skills and Social Playing Winning
and
health State Fitness Strategies Balance State State
Recovery

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 THE COACH, CORE FACTOR FOR SUCCESS
The football coach remains at the core of a team’s success. Besides coordinated effort from the National
Associations, appropriate training is needed to prepare new talents and provide continuing education to
those in the field.
• Talent
• Self-discipline and Self-control
INNATE
TRAITS • Logic and emotional intelligence
to motivate and take the best
decisions

• Knowledge to select and form the

team for each tournament and
official game
PROFESSIONAL
• Knowledge to train and prepare the
TRAITS
team to be in its optimum state
• Ability to lead and manage the
players on and off the field.

• Relationship with team and the

football community
SOCIAL TRAITS • Acceptance of the football rules,
laws and regulations
• National and international prestige
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 Victor Stanculescu, PhD

Victor@SoccerAcademyOfAmerica.com

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 References:
1. The Association of Coaches without Frontiers – Direct Individual Observation;
2. FIFA – World Cup Technical Group Study;
3. UEFA – World Cup Technical Information
4. AAFF - World Cup Intentional Observation and Evaluation;
5. Three (3) Dimensional Football System of Performance: SAA, 1993, Chicago
6. World Soccer – English Soccer Magazine;
7. Gazeta Sporturilor.Ro
8. Sport.Ro
9. L’Allenatore di Calcio – National Football Technical Center- Italy;
10. Insight – English Football Coaches Magazine;
11. L’entraineur de Football, French Football Coaches’ Magazine;
12. Strada-Information, English Sport Info Service;
13. Direct Transmission and Replaying games study of the World Cup 2010;
14. Professional Dialogue with Football Coaches Association.
15. NSCAA – Soccer magazine, USA;
other national football magazine and information from countries as:
Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, USA
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