Identification and Comparative Analysis of Essential Performance Indicators in Two Levels of Soccer Expertise

Abstract

This study aims to identify the essential performance indicators in two level of soccer expertise. A total of 84 elite’s soccer players and 100 novice players from eight soccer academies in Malaysia were enrolled and subjected to standard anthropometric, fitness, skills related performance testing and responded to the questionnaire in mastery and performance. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to determine the most indispensable variables pertinent to the requirement of the game in relation to the level of expertise of the players. The initial PCA shows seven components out of 26 as the most significant for both elite and novice soccer players with a considerable eigenvalue > 1. Moreover, the PCA after varimax rotation highlighted seven principles components (PCs) for elite and novice players respectively. Each of the seven components contained varifactors (VF) selected based on their higher factor loading and that distinguish the players on their expertise. The first PCs for elite’s players revealed strong loading from sit and reach (0.780), vertical jump (0.635), VO_2max (0.637) and age (0.752). The second PCs revealed weight (0.639), biceps (0.859), triceps (0.769), subscapular (0.847), suprailiac (0.886) and middle upper arm circumference (0.776). The third PCs revealed 505 agility (0.618), 5m speed (0.712), 10m speed (0.858) and 20m speed (0.929). The forth PCs revealed task (-0.675) and short pass (0.789) and the last PCs revealed sit up (-0.702). For novice’s players, the first PCs revealed vertical jump (0.624), weight (0.861), height (0.856), sitting height (0.632), middle upper arm circumference (0.673), calf circumference (0.790) and maturity (0.651). The second PCs revealed biceps (0.832), triceps (0.899), subscapular (0.816) and suprailiac (0.869). The third PCs revealed 5m speed (-0.847), 10m speed (-0.877), 20m speed (-0.785) and VO_2max (0.658). The forth PCs revealed task (0.694) and ego (0.747) and the last PCs revealed short pass (0.766).