Long-Term Trend Analysis of Playing Styles in the Chinese Soccer Super League

The aim of this study was to identify playing styles adopted by teams in the Chinese Soccer Super League (CSL) and to investigate their evolution across a 6-season period. Data were collected from 1,429 CSL matches from 2012 to 2017 seasons using the Amisco system. Seventeen technical performance-related indicators and eleven physical performance-related indicators were included in the factor analysis (PCA: principal components analysis) in order to group them into performance factors (styles of play). Seven factors were obtained (eigenvalues greater than 1) and explained 74.44% of the total variance. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to check differences among seven styles of play (team’s ranking was used as a covariate) during the six seasons under study. The main findings showed that Factor 1 (high intensity play) and factor 3 (offensive actions) of CSL soccer increased substantially along the seasons. Coaches and sports scientists should take into consideration these performance trends when preparing training and controlling for matches