The Hindu : Germany getting computer help

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Germany getting computer help

BERLIN June 19. A small German company that tracks and analyses the movements and kicking habits of Germany's World Cup opponents may be giving its team a crucial advantage.

Markus Schulz, founder of Sports Analytics, has been beaming via satellite daily packages of details on opposing teams and players to Germany coach Rudi Voeller in South Korea and Japan.

``We're obviously proud every time Germany wins and like to think we're making a small contribution as small cogs in the big wheel,'' Schulz told Reuters. ``But we're no more important than the team cook who prepares a good meal or the physiotherapist.''

With typical German thoroughness, Schulz and five full-time staff workers in Dortmund have been studying video tapes of opposing teams to document the trends. They have been digitally breaking down the movements of teams like Paraguay, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon to diagram their favourite plays, frequent routes and preferred corners of the goal on corner kicks and penalty kicks.

``For example we track what the players like to do in certain situations like corner kicks and free kicks, or what are the passing combinations that lead to goals or shots on goal,'' he said. ``We can filter out a lot of the other stuff and have an analysis that can be quickly called up and reviewed on CD-Rom.''

Schulz, 31, said Sport Analytics had received the ultimate compliment from goalkeeper Oliver Kahn after the 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday. Just before Germany scored, Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert had lined up to take a free kick from a promising position. His shot sailed harmlessly above the wall, over Kahn's head and the crossbar, but Kahn had stationed a tall defender, Thomas Linke, next to the post.

``I was feeling creative,'' Kahn said. ``I had taken a close look at his free kicks on video and as a result I knew he almost always kicks the ball straight on over the wall. I figured if I speculate wrongly and for a change he goes for the near corner, at least I've got someone at the post who can head it away,'' Kahn said.

Schulz said his analysis also revealed Paraguay had scored many of their previous goals from free kicks from a range of 16 to 20 metres away to the left and right of the goal. As a result he said Germany adjusted its tactics to take special care to avoid causing penalties in those areas. ``There was a clear danger from their free kicks,'' he said. ``They had scored three or four goals from that range and had hit the ball very, very well. Tactics needed to be refined to try to limit their free kicks from those areas.'' — Reuters

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport