title: Technical and physical analysis of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: winners vs. losers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the present study was to investigate the technical and physical performance parameters that distinguish between teams winning and losing matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were derived from the FIFA website and from live-statistics provided during each game of the world cup. Twelve physical (such as total distance covered in meters (TD), TD in distinct locomotor categories: low-intensity running (LIR; <11 km/h), moderate-intensity running (MIR; 11 to 14 km/h) and high-intensity-running (HIR; >14 km/h)) and 21 technical parameters (total passes, short-, medium- and long-distance passes, total pass completion rate, dangerous attacks, attacking attempts, delivery in penalty area, ball possession, goals, goals from set-pieces, goals per shot on goal, defending saves, shots, shots on goal, shot accuracy, set-pieces, crosses, corners, clearances, yellow cards) were analyzed. Forty-two games in which a winner and consequently a loser were presented after 90 minutes of game time were investigated with independent t-tests. A binary-logistic regression was utilized to investigate whether the significant variables predicted success of the winning teams.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The winning teams scored significantly (P<0.05) greater amount of goals, goals per set-pieces, goals per shots on goals, shots on goal and shot accuracy and received significantly lower yellow cards. The binary-logistic regression utilized showed that shot accuracy was the best predictor for success. The physical parameters did not differ between teams winning and losing a match.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Technical performance related to goal scoring parameters play a decisive role in World Cup games. Furthermore, scoring efficacy from open-play as well as from set-pieces are crucial to win matches in a World Cup tournament. At this level, physical performance was not the factor to discriminate between winners and losers.
authors.affiliation: National Sports Medicine Program, Excellence in Football Project, Aspetar, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Sports City, Doha, Qatar - michael.rumpf@aspetar.com.|Auckland University of Technology, Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand - michael.rumpf@aspetar.com.
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rumpf
authors.affiliation: National Sports Medicine Program, Excellence in Football Project, Aspetar, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Sports City, Doha, Qatar.|Center of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joao R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: National Sports Medicine Program, Excellence in Football Project, Aspetar, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Sports City, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertzog
authors.affiliation: Athlete Health and Performance Research, Aspetar, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.affiliation: National Sports Medicine Program, Excellence in Football Project, Aspetar, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Sports City, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nassis
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*