Effects of contextual and tactical dimensions on the creation of goal-scoring opportunities in U12 and U13 elite Spanish soccer teams

The aim of this paper was to describe the interactive effects of contextual and tactical dimensions on the creation of goal-scoring opportunities (GSO) in youth elite Spanish soccer, according to the type of possession. A total of 1730 team possessions from 24 qualifying matches of the official Spanish LaLiga Promises U12 and U13 soccer-7 tournaments were analyzed. For the analysis, team possessions were grouped into recoveries and restarts, according to the type of possession start. The study evaluated ten contextual and tactical dimensions by observational methodology. For recoveries, the multilevel binary regression models revealed significant effects of dimensions such as match status, initial field zone, initial penetration, type of attack, number of dribbles and number of passes on the creation of GSO. However, for restarts, only dimensions such as initial penetration, number of dribbles and possession width presented significant effects on the creation of GSO. In conclusion, the effects of different contextual and tactical dimensions in youth soccer teams seem to depend on whether the start of the team possession is a transition or a restart, regardless of the age category. These findings are useful for soccer coaches and analysts, which can help them understand the key dimensions in the design of training sessions in youth soccer teams.