AI in Soccer: Does AI make management easier?
In modern soccer, descriptive data analysis has shown the usefulness and advantages it can bring to this sport. Statistics is helping managers of soccer clubs in transferring, analyzing matches, improving players, planning tactics, etc… But now, artificial intelligence is proving that it is the real game-changer that can take this sport to the next level. Data can show only numbers and charts; artificial intelligence thinks and gives advice. Club managers who make good use of artificial intelligence are having huge advantages over their competitors.
First of all, artificial intelligence can pre- and post-analyze matches, as well as giving facts that can help players improve themselves. An English soccer club had been working with IBM on an artificial intelligence project to improve the players and team performance. The best part about it was that the tool had no emotion, which means there was no bias in decision making. The players were given feedback and advice without the emotional element. The club’s management team also used the tool to make valuable changes in tactics. At the end of the season, the club finished with a higher position than the initial expectation, which implied the project’s success. However, artificial intelligence brought an unexpected benefit; it helped players to bond and improved their relationships.
The next thing artificial intelligence has advantages over statistics is scouting players, which helps in a club’s transfer. Olocip, a Spanish consultancy, has developed artificial intelligence which helps in scouting. Data analysis can only show a player’s performance in the previous club, which might have a different play style from the new one. Therefore, he needs to fit into the new system. Olocip’s AI can learn from the data, create models and make the prediction. Finance is an essential factor of a sport club, a successful contract is what they always head to. Artificial intelligence is now capable of helping soccer clubs in making the right transferring decision.
Besides scouting, Olocip has also developed software offering in-game tactical advice, called TCT Coach. The artificial intelligence models the match’s current and upcoming states with many variables you can interact with. The user will make changes to see what could happen next. The software can also automatically run and offer advice to the manager based on his intention. It really helps the manager to make tough in-game decisions.
With all the advantages mentioned above, I could strongly argue that artificial intelligence does make soccer management easier. Managers are having AI help them in many aspects of their job. The best managers are the ones who make the best use of technology. Most of the clubs understand that they will be left behind if they don’t embrace technological advances. Soon, artificial intelligence will appear everywhere. However, when the technology gap between clubs no longer exists, the difference between a good and an excellent manager will be determined by their experience or their instinct again. If so, isn’t AI making management harder?
Great post Tuan! I'm a big fan of sports, and the emergence of AI and advanced analytics in sports like baseball and football has been very interesting. More and more, coaches are relying on technology to aid in their decision making process. While I understand why these coaches would want to use any technology available to them to help their team win, I do feel that it may take away from some aspects of the game. In the 2019 World Series, Dave Martinez (the manager for the Washington Nationals) put in Ryan Zimmerman to bat in a huge moment in the game. All the analytics and projections said that Zimmerman was a bad match up against the pitcher (can't remember who it was) but he got a hit any way and it was a huge boost for the eventual champions. I'm worried that moments like this will become more rare as coaches and managers rely more on AI, is this something that you are also concerned about?
ReplyDeleteI agree, cool post Tuan! I too am a big fan of sports and your anecdote to the 2019 World Series does bring up a lot of the skepticisms that exist with AI in sports. (Arguably) The computer/AI does not have the gut feeling that a human manager of a team does, and the computer is also unable to measure clutch ability or mindset of a player (in the situation you mentioned, Ryan Zimmerman) like a human manager can. This goes back to the Turing Test in a way, because the argument is that the AI can't truly think about the situation in its' entirety like a human can, it can only make the decision simply on numbers and not on human qualities.
DeleteIn World Cup 2014's final match, Germany substituted in Mario Gotze in Extra-Time based on the suggestion of an data analytics AI app and he scored the golden goal against Argentina which helped Germany became the world's champion. I think it's really interesting to see more and more appearance of data and AI in sports!
DeleteWill this impact how the game is played since teams will be built based off of AI? I think that game play will change moderately because of this and cause even more constant change to the game. With the introduction of AI in management, teams should also become more even and not so one-sided for games.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking about AI's impact on the game. How will this affect players who are getting scouted as they are no longer assessed by coaches but by AI as well? Do you think this will change the way they play and train as it is more likely they will get picked for their team of choice if they fit well with the other players already on the team rather than showcasing their unique skills and being a wildcard player?
DeleteI wonder if the computer scientists developing the AI will make the same type of money as the players and coaches since arguably they have the same if not more of a contribution to winning games...
DeleteTuan, as I were talking with my friends some days earlier about the impact of AI in soccer, we all agreed that it's a powerful in helping the coaches/players to improve their strategies/winning rates. However, one thing we didn't know so well was: how does AI affect what the players think? And in your post, you said "However, artificial intelligence brought an unexpected benefit; it helped players to bond and improved their relationships." Could you elaborate more about this, or provide some sources that talk about this? It's interesting to know how AI influences the mental part of sport players.
ReplyDeleteIt was explained in the source I used: https://www.zdnet.com/article/technology-in-sport-how-artificial-intelligence-is-helping-one-football-club-to-make-game-changing-decisions-ai/
DeleteLet's me quote the assistant manager: "When a manager tells you you're not good at something, how he says it is really important. Some players might not respect criticism and that's where the tool really comes in handy. It's allowed us to build strong human relationships."
Does it help answer your question?
I would say that technology is only a tool for the coaches, and how to use it is entirely up to them. Some thing AI might have missed is that soccer players play differently under different coaches, and that makes the role of coaches unique. They are not only putting players into a team, but are also responsible for developing and guiding players to fit into their philosophy. Therefore, I don't think technology will make soccer management different in any near future.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add that I think some clubs are doing stats measurement in training sessions as well. I'm not sure if they use these statistics to optimize players' performance (most likely they do). It'd be helpful to know when a player usually drains out during a match, or similar things.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very Interesting Blog! As a fan of the sport I agree with your point that it does make it easier on the managers in finding players that are the best fit to their club. But do you think these AI advancements can be used to determine player rating's in games such as FIFA?
ReplyDeleteIt will, definitely
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