How many neural networks are needed to score a goal? – The financial

Barcelona FC, a place where one of the best footballers in the world was created, today has at least 10 people trained as Data Scientists. Chelsea, the current champion of the Champions League, has at least 4, The Golden State Warriors, a basketball team based in San Francisco, also has at least 4. And in Mexico? Even in the MLS, the United States Soccer League, almost all teams have Data Scientists, however, in Mexico only a handful of teams have even one person who within their job descriptions says something about Science of data. LigaMx itself only has one or two people with that description.

Today, multiple teams, from national to club, across sports are finding value in data. In different countries, data science tools have been used to win championships. The success story of Liverpool FC using data science to win tournaments is very famous, whose owner has used data science to make the Red Sox one of the most competitive teams in the American baseball league, the MLB.

The most traditional use of data science in sports is in the physical preparation and conditioning of its players. Using advanced analytics, it is possible to know in detail what the capabilities of each player are, how they are physically, and in particular, to know their condition in a very specific way and thus be able to make projections match by match. Not only that, with this type of analysis it is possible to project how the talents of a player can best be used at the season level, or even throughout his sports career.

Another very traditional use is that of marketing, where it is possible to determine which customers and fans can be offered additional services, or how to promote certain products on the pitch, or even increase the user experience on the pitch for good. From the type of seats that a client might prefer, to the type of follow-up and loyalty programs that could be offered, in order to make each client have a unique and unrepeatable experience every time they go to the court. Or even, so that the advertisements that are seen on television are also unique for each one. By being able to control advertisements and propaganda in a more timely manner, the added value offered to companies that decide to advertise grows exponentially.

In a more gregarious way, it can be used for team organization and determining the best squad to win a championship. From analyzing opponent by opponent, lineups and players, to being able to create a team that is designed to be able to counteract the strengths of the opponents. This type of strategy allows economic resources to be used in the most optimal way, not unlike the Oakland Aces, a team that used data extensively to gain an advantage in professional baseball. There is a movie and a book inspired by this data-driven strategy called Moneyball. The proper use of data in this case allows not only multi-million dollar teams to win championships, but also a team with a small budget to create a competitive squad.

At the end of the day, sports institutions must use data, in Mexico it is clear that there is a long way to go, and it is up to the owners to be able to use this data to be able to get the most out of this business that is Mexican soccer, perhaps along the way making matches more entertaining. What is a reality is that, if this new reality in sports is ignored, Mexican soccer is destined to fall into world irrelevance, a clear example is how, today, American soccer is exporting more players to Europe than the that Mexican soccer has never been able to. It remains to be seen who are the owners who choose to start exploiting the data and give their clubs that true competitive advantage.