Stats Perform gives an Opta-mistic approach to football analysis

Stats Perform

At a time where football matches are decided by the finest margins, technology looks to give teams an edge over one another – exploiting weaknesses through data extrapolation and analysis.

Stats Perform utilises artificial intelligence to capture and display thousands of data points every single game, which can be used to the benefit of fans, coaches, and players. Their Opta data set is of use to a multitude of audiences, with the ability to tailor data sets to what is applicable to a client. Sportsbooks, broadcasters, and mobile apps are among the many groups that benefit greatly from this data range.

Since 2006, Opta has scanned and filed thousands of events within a single football match. They have come a long way from where they began, and although player tracking is at its most effective it has ever been, there is far more than can be done. Opta comprises all the ‘on-ball’ happenings, passes, shots, duels. The combination of data from events within a match, as well as the live tracking of player movement will greatly benefit clubs who have access to this information.

As Stats Perform looks to improve the service it provides its many clients, the off-ball events are painting a much greater contextual picture for teams and broadcasters to analyse. Tracking player movement, direction, and velocity can showcase defensive efforts, marking, running back on counterattacks, and more. This is revolutionary in the way coaches analyse film, aspects of a game such as off the ball movement were solely subjective analysis from panellists and coaches watching game film themselves.

Captured at the ground in real-time, Opta delivers data to clients in a way which best suits their needs, including historical data, including player and team matchups, as well as cumulative stats across a set time frame. The A.I. dataset is more efficient in both speed and ability to read the game, with pin-point accuracy in player data sets, such as pass conversion rate, allowing coaches to objectively identify key areas of improvement, and areas which can be used more effectively on game day.

Various scenarios can be taken from Opta’s data sets, to replicate on the training ground, as data analysis can showcase what chances have the highest percentage rates of success, expected goals and possession retention, among other desired outcomes for a coach. This also comes as a benefit to broadcasters, who’s half time and full-time analysis can convey to viewers their understanding of the game, backed up by statistical analysis completed in real-time by the A.I. of Opta. This will allow relevant stakeholders to quantify objectively, what was previously impossible to do. The efforts off the ball from players, their decision making in a pass or shooting opportunity, what was the best decision, and did they make it.

Football NSW has partnered with Opta, for the NPL NSW Men’s and Women’s competitions, to further broaden the analysis of teams for broadcasters and commentators of the games. Games are live streamed around the country on NPL.TV, allowing fans around the country to tune in whenever their team is playing, as well as highlight reels after the match. Opta allows commentators to have access to key stats, head-to-head matchups in a game, a season overview, and an in-depth data set for every single player on the field. This gives commentators a variety of talking points, and thus helping Football NSW deliver a better product to their audience.

Stats such as dribbles, duels, set piece conversion rates are all points of interest for a commentator during a game, and is also quite beneficial for coaches to analyse and work on, or look to exploit in their opponent. For instance, data obtained by Opta showcased that the 4 A-League academy sides within the top-flight of the NSW NPL Men’s (Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Central Coast Mariners & Bulls Academy) had the worst 4 records in terms of set pieces conceded. This lapse in concentration and physical ability for the younger teams in the competition was continually exploited by the more mature sides in the competition.

Football as we know it is changing rapidly, and with the help of Opta stats, fans can stay up to speed, with broadcasters given the ability to convey the 1000s of data points per match in a succinct and meaningful way, which doesn’t take away from the story of the game but accentuates it ever more.

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Making Football Fairer: Dreamstock DSFootball Platform

Player scouting is one of the most challenging and vitally important tasks a club has to manage, without fresh and skillful new players a club will struggle to compete with its peers.

However, scouting can take a significant amount of time, manpower and research, leaving clubs with less resources at a significant disadvantage.

Additionally, for young players aiming for a professional career in football it can be extremely difficult to get noticed, especially if they are unable to frequently travel to far away tryouts.

To bridge the gap, Japanese organisation Dreamstock aims to reshape traditional scouting procedures via technology.

Launched in 2017, Dreamstock operates one of the largest online player selection platforms in the world – DSFootball.

Via DSFootball, Dreamstock strive to achieve three goals on the path to make football fairer for upcoming talents:

  • Create connections between club and players.
  • Generate opportunities through technology and innovation.
  • Transform the scouting market with transparency

DSFootball Platform 

Available in two packages, DSFootball is a multifaceted platform designed to aid both clubs and players. The first package is designed for grassroots clubs and academy players, while the second is a premium version tailored for professional clubs and players.

Through the DSFootball app, players create a profile that details their physical attributes, location, position and footballing history. Additionally, they can upload video clips of their performances to entice clubs to contact them.

For clubs, the DSFootball platform allows them to search for the perfect players to fit their unique needs by filtering their searches.

The platform houses a vast and expansive youth database for players across the U13, U15, U17 and U20 age groups, presenting the aforementioned player profiles to clubs.

These profiles showcase the important player information scouts need to know, so they can determine if potential players are suitable for them or note. Most importantly, the profiles showcase valuable game footage and clips, allowing scouts and coaches to see the potential of players without travelling to see them in person.

Through the DSFootball platform, clubs can individually contact interesting players via their profiles, or they can launch scouting events and tryouts to assess players in person. Furthermore, DSFootball allows for direct contact to player representatives to foster important connections and conversations.

Via DSFootball, Dreamstock provides a way for clubs to access and scout players they normally never would have been able to under traditional methods, as it drastically reducing barriers for upcoming young players.

In providing each of these services, DSFootball acts as a one-stop-shop for clubs, significantly reducing the amount of hassle they are subjected to.

Global Impact 

Developing from its two headquarters in Brazil and Japan, Dreamstock has achieved significant success in its short lifespan via the DSFootball platform. With the company and its platform having grown active in over 36 countries, encompassing more than 200 clubs and 50 leagues.

Through their work, Dreamstock has fostered key partnerships with premier competitions such as the Bundesliga, Serie A, Eredivisie and even Australia’s very own A-League.

As a product, DSFootball has been revolutionary. With over one million registered players on DSFootball, Dreamstock has created a premier destination for clubs to select future stars from, connecting players to clubs at a faster and more expansive rate than ever before.

For players, DSFootball has proven to be an excellent way to develop personally and attract attention from clubs. Of the one million plus registered players on the DSFootball platform, more than 100,000 are active participants in selection.

There is no sign of Dreamstock slowing down either, attaining over two million website views each month, illustrating a continued desire for the platform.

For more information on Dreamstock and the DSFootball platform, click here.

Discover the best free apps for soccer clubs

Club management is an exceptionally difficult all-encompassing role, which can entail working long hours and tight budget restrictions. To help alleviate some of the stress, here is a list of several freely available apps and tools to help you across a variety of fields.

Club Structure & Documents

Organising how a club is structured is complex, involving large compendiums of documents, files, and more. To help assist how your club is structured and recorded, the following software can help.

Stack Team App 

The Stack Team App is a well-known app designed for use by sports teams and clubs. It allows club administrators to keep track of members with ease, send messages and information to members simply, fundraise directly, create calendars and schedules, as well track attendance and availability for matches. The app also serves as a way to keep documents in a central location, allowing for easy access.

OneNote

OneNote is Microsoft’s free note-taking platform, available on multiple platforms. It allows admins and members to outlay important club information, plan, take meeting minutes and more. All within in a format which is easy to use and can be freely shared, allowing for real-time collaboration.

Notion

Similar to OneNote, Notion operates as a note-taking tool, available on a number of platforms. However, it prides itself on being an effective and simple project management platform, allowing users to see, comment on and track work being done by others. The base version of Notion is free and provides a collaborative workspace for up to 10 people, along with integration with several major apps such as Slack. Paid versions of the app increase the number of contributors and provide unlimited file uploads.

Google Drive 

Google Drive is a free file-hosting service which allows for documents to be securely saved and then retrieved from any device, requiring only a Google account. Through Google Drive, files can be shared freely to members or kept private.

Dropbox

Like Google Drive, Dropbox is a cloud storage software which allows for files to be shared swiftly or kept protected. The free version of the app allows for up to 2GB of storage, which can be upgraded by purchasing premium subscriptions.

Club Messaging

For clubs, it is crucial admins, volunteers, players and members are always up to date with important information and have an easy way to contact each other in times of need.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a free messaging platform available on mobile phones and desktops. While it may seem at first redundant to use instead of simply texting, WhatsApp has some key advantages. Using only an internet connection for messaging and calling, WhatsApp users are not subjected to SMS charges like in regular texting. Furthermore, WhatsApp allows for far larger group chats than texting, allowing for 256 members within a single group.

Slack 

Slack is a multi-device messaging platform designed for businesses and professionals. It features the ability to divide messaging into isolated channels for convenience, integration with apps, as well as featuring voice and video calls.

Club Social Media 

In 2025 it is vital that clubs have a social media presence. It is a highly valuable tool to market a club to new members and also a platform to spread information to supporters.

The three most important social media apps your club needs to be on are Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). These platforms are free to use and can be accessed from any device.

Here, your club can post about fixtures, important events, ticketing, fundraising, membership, and more.

Club Design and Graphics 

As a club, it may seem like design and graphics are unimportant, but that is entirely untrue. Having a remarkable and unique visual style can help you stand out from other rival clubs, while posting professional looking content on social media strengthens the appeal of the club.

Canva

Known for its simplicity and ease of use, Canva is perfect for those who want to improve their club’s social media content without venturing into complex software. Available on mobile phones and desktops, Canva is versatile and offers a range of templates to help ease the design process. The base version of the app is free, while paid versions extend upon its features, offering new design tools and templates.

Adobe Express

Adobe Express is a more basic version of Adobe’s professional programs, however that does not diminish it. The app is easy to use, offering simple tools and templates, while also being available on mobiles and desktop. Adobe Express can be upgraded via paid subscription to include more templates, assets, and greater AI tools.

Conclusion

Running a club is already incredibly difficult, so always look for tools that can assist you. For any more information, feel free to contact Football Pro Directory.

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