2010 Football World Cup Graphs

A team's strategy in one graph

By Javier López Peña and Hugo Touchette
School of Mathematical Sciences
Queen Mary, University of London

• Home
• Germany v England

• Holland v Spain
• England
• Germany
• Holland
• Spain
• Other teams
• Notes
• Press release
• News coverage

Player Passes made Passes received Centrality 1 - Manuel NEUER 22 12 0,0049 3 - Arne FRIEDRICH 33 28 0,0025 6 - Sami KHEDIRA 36 34 0,0049 7 - Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER 49 50 0,0049 8 - Mesut OEZIL 31 37 0,0049 10 - Lukas PODOLSKI 20 28 0,0049 11 - Miroslav KLOSE 10 12 0,0024 13 - Thomas MUELLER 19 27 0,0024 16 - Philipp LAHM 50 45 0,0049 17 - Per MERTESACKER 43 37 0,0049 20 - Jerome BOATENG 17 20 0,0024

Analysis

• Centers of the network: Neuer (1), Khedira (6), Schweinsteiger (7), Mertesacker (17)
• Germany is more balanced than England. In general players have a much higher number of passes, suggesting a more fluid circulation of the ball.

• Schweinsteiger (7) and Lahm (16) have very high numbers of passes, even though the former is not a center of the network.

• Most of the German attacks are built up from the defenders (thickest arrows of the graph): mostly Lahm (16) and Mertesacker (17), but also Friedrich (3). However, once started, the attack, usually flowing through Schweinsteiger (7), moves either to the left to Podolski (10) or to the right to Mueller (13). 

• Oezil (8) makes a good work at connecting both sides of the field on the attack, making the German offensive very effective.

• High number of passes from defenders Lahm (16) and Boateng (20) directly to forwards Podolski (10) or Mueller (13), usually resulting in quick attacks or counterstrikes.

• High concentration of passes on the right-hand side of the field, particularly involving Lahm (16)-Schweinsteiger (7) or Lahm (16)-Mueller (13).

• The key player to block turns out to be Schweinsteiger (7) rather than one of the forwards.