Football Intelligence Training and Tactics for Soccer Success

Soccer is the biggest game in the world and has proved to be an unprecedented phenomenon of social impact, inhabiting a prominent place in the daily lives of millions of human beings, a game that has impact even in the most remote places. In an ever-changing world of soccer coaching and tactics, player intelligence has become increasingly important, providing the essential ability to act effectively in a given moment. Therefore, in recent years, the tactical component has been increasingly valued and diffused. Around the world, this dimension of sport performance is being studied and applied by many professionals in the field, from the youth academies all the way through to the professional level.

This book is designed to help those who devote much of their time to improving the quality of the game, by coaching and training highly informed, creative and intelligent players. These coaches devote their time and energy to improve players? and teams? performances. In turn, match analysts, physiotherapists, psychologists, clinicians and the sport science team dedicate themselves to optimize resources that help boost the performance levels of the players, the coaches and the team.

Football Intelligence: Training and Tactics for Soccer Success presents procedures and ideas that, besides assisting in the task of evaluating the tactical performance of soccer players and teams, also allows improving their expression throughout the learning and training phase. This book will be key reading for football coaches and players alike, as well as students and practitioners of sport psychology and performance analysis.

Section 1: Understanding the Soccer Game and Its Dynamics

1. Soccer: A Game of Tactical Knowledge

2. Tactics in Soccer

3. Tactical Modelling in Soccer

Section 2: Improving Quality Play: Training and Assessment as Key Elements for Intelligence and Creativity

4. Periodization of Tactical Training

5. Instruments for Assessment of Tactical Behaviour

6. Contributions for the Observation and Interpretation of the Soccer Game

Israel Teoldo holds a PhD in Sport Sciences at the Faculty of Sports of the University of Porto and spent a year as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Sport Sciences at Brunel University London, UK. He is Reader in Soccer at the Department of Physical Education of the Federal University of Viçosa and is in charge of the postgraduate course in Soccer and of the Centre of Research and Studies in Soccer (NUPEF). He is a creator of TacticUP, NUPEF and UFV Soccer Academy. He is a FIFA Coach Educator and consultant at CBF and CONMEBOL.

José Guilherme holds a PhD in Sport Sciences and is a lecturer at the Faculty of Sports of the University of Porto, Portugal. He is a member of the Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport and of the Centre for Team Sports Studies. Professor Guilherme has worked as coach and as assistant coach of the Portuguese National Team.

Júlio Garganta holds a PhD in Sport Sciences and is a lecturer at the Faculty of Sports of the University of Porto, Portugal. He is in charge of FADEUP’s Football Office in the last two decades and is a member of the Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport. He is a collaborator of several Portuguese and foreign universities, in undergraduate and postgraduate courses.