An ETH researcher analyzes the Swiss national team's World Cup opponents

"Football often seems unpredictable and spontaneous," ETH researcher Ulrik Brandes was quoted as saying in a press release issued by ETH Zurich on Tuesday. "But if you look at enough data, you can also recognize stable patterns."

According to the ETH, Brandes makes these patterns visible with his analyses. The Swiss national team is using his methods to prepare for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, according to the university.

The researcher works with tracking data from international tournaments. These record the positions of all players and the ball to the second. This creates a dynamic picture of the tactical formation.

The evaluations could show, for example, whether a full-back is playing particularly offensively or whether a striker is dropping far back. However, Brandes emphasized that he only prepares the data and does not make any tactical recommendations. The conclusions are drawn exclusively by the coaching team.

Despite all the data analysis, luck and chance remain decisive factors in football, according to Brandes. A deflected ball or a missed penalty could still decide games. Data analysis does not take the excitement out of the sport, but makes it easier to understand.