After analyzing
the evolution of the Spanish team during the first two matches, let us analyze how were the two networks of the Spain vs. Portugal match, where Spain was beaten and kicked definitely off the EuroCup.
The network represents the pass network in each match. Each hode is a player, and edges join players that have made o received a pass. That does not mean that passes happen at the same time, and actual pass chains are not represented, however, it gives an idea of who's connecting with whom and where passes start or end.
Let's have a look at Portugal
Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo are well connected, and Maniche has links almost to everybody else. The authority (21%) of the network is Deco, followed by Figo and Maniche: logically, the authority is a forward player, passes end in him. Betweenness is concentrated among a few players, which means that only half the team passes among each other, the rest are either source or sink of passes. Highest betweenness, with almost 50% corresponds to the goalkeeper, Ricardo, which, from other analyses, seems to indicate a that the team is controlling the ball. All data can be downloaded from
here.
¿What about Spain?
Authorities are midfielders, Xabi Alonso, Joaquín and Vicente, not the forward players, Morientes, Fernando Torres, Raúl. That's bad. Forwards are lost, the ball does not reach them. Highest betweenness belongs to a defender, Raúl Bravo, and a forward player, Fernando Torres; Spain does not have a structure in the field. The organizers, Albelda and Baraja, do not have an outstanding position in the fields. And we lost.
