Conditional-positional profile of Mexican soccer players: analysis across playing categories in Club Deportivo Guadalajara
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.115941Keywords:
Conditional-positional profile, soccer, monitoring, external load, competitive demandAbstract
Introduction: Professional soccer demands high physical and tactical performance, making it essential to monitor conditional-positional profiles to understand external load.
Objective: To identify and compare conditional-positional profiles of Mexican soccer players across different competitive stages at Club Deportivo Guadalajara.
Methodology: External load variables were analyzed during official matches, including total distance, m/min, HSR, sprints, HMLD, accelerations, decelerations, and maximum speed, including only players with more than 80 minutes of participation.
Results: Significant differences were observed across categories and positions. In the professional category, full-backs performed more sprints (15.3 ± 4.0) and center-forwards achieved greater HSR (670.5 ± 149.9 m). In the youth category, defensive midfielders covered the greatest distance (10092.7 ± 106.5 m). In the formative category, offensive midfielders excelled in decelerations (71.0 ± 11.2), wingers in sprints (15.4 ± 1.9) and decelerations (67.1 ± 1.5), and center-forwards in sprints (17.7 ± 4.1). Additionally, the professional category showed an 11.45% increase in total distance (10495.7 ± 416.8 m) and a 10% increase in intensity (110.5 ± 5.8 m/min) compared to the formative category, which reduced decelerations by 16.9%.
Discussion: Demands vary by category and position, with higher high-intensity efforts in offensive players and full-backs, and greater volume in youth midfielders. These differences highlight the importance of progressive training in formative stages to prevent overloads and optimize performance.
Conclusions: Position-specific analysis is recommended to guide planning and ensure that average values do not mask relevant differences.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Enrique Agustín Martinez Ruiz, Adrián Cruz Ahuatzi, Juan Manuel Melo Alvarado, Gerard Piniés Penadés, Edgar Rodolfo Capetillo Meléndez, Roberto Rivera Miguel, Eduardo Alex Gorgonio Barbosa, Oscar Adán Cobián Becerra, Sergio Domínguez Torres
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