Comparison of external load and physical performance of professional soccer players between a cup match and a league match: A preliminary study

Luiz Ricardo  Mendes de Sousa Silva; Luciano  Bernardes Leite; Pedro Forte; Victor  Neiva Lavorato; José  E. Teixeira; Ricardo  Ferraz; Leôncio  Lopes Soares; Eduardo  Mendonça Pimenta; Guilherme  de Azambuja Pussieldi; Christian Emanuel  Torres Cabido; Mario Norberto  Sevilio de Oliveira Junior; Christiano  Eduardo Veneroso

doi:10.6063/motricidade.38034

Comparison of external load and physical performance of professional soccer players between a cup match and a league match: A preliminary study

Authors

Luiz Ricardo Mendes de Sousa Silva Post-Graduate Program in Physical Education - Federal University of Maranhão
Luciano Bernardes Leite Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3012-1327
Pedro Forte Douro Higher Institute of Educational Sciences https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0184-6780
Victor Neiva Lavorato Department of Physical Education, Governador Ozanam Coelho University Center, Ubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9914-4722
José E. Teixeira IPG
Ricardo Ferraz UBI
Leôncio Lopes Soares Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6852-1230
Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta Graduate Program in Sport Sciences, School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brasil. UFMG Soccer Science Center https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0381-1119
Guilherme de Azambuja Pussieldi 14 Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Viçosa, Florestal Campus, Florestal, Minas Gerais, Brazil; 15 Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0275-5226
Christian Emanuel Torres Cabido Post-Graduate Program in Physical Education - Federal University of Maranhão https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4800-0128
Mario Norberto Sevilio de Oliveira Junior Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9733-6659
Christiano Eduardo Veneroso Post-Graduate Program in Physical Education - Federal University of Maranhão https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8291-3270

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.38034

Keywords:

soccer players, high-intensity, training, sprints, accelerations

Abstract

Soccer is an intermittent sport characterised by frequent high-intensity actions, with performance varying based on the competition or tournament. This study aimed to compare the activity profiles of professional soccer players in a cup match versus a league match. Data were collected from two official matches played by a professional team from Brazil’s Serie B Men’s Championship during the 2018 season, in which the team participated in regional and national competitions organised by the Brazilian Football Confederation while maintaining regular training routines. The main variables analysed included total distance covered, highspeed running distance, number of sprints, accelerations, and decelerations. The results showed no significant differences in most variables, including heart rate, total distance covered, and number of sprints between the two match types. However, there was a significant reduction in the number of accelerations during the league match compared to the cup match. These findings suggest that league tournaments may feature fewer accelerations compared to cup matches, which could impact players’ physical demands and tactical preparation. Understanding these differences can help coaches optimise training and game strategies tailored to the specific demands of each competition type.

Downloads

Published

2025-07-22

How to Cite

Mendes de Sousa Silva, L. R. ., Bernardes Leite, L. ., Forte, P., Neiva Lavorato, V. ., E. Teixeira, J. ., Ferraz, R. ., … Eduardo Veneroso, C. . (2025). Comparison of external load and physical performance of professional soccer players between a cup match and a league match: A preliminary study. Motricidade, 21, e38034. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.38034

Download Citation

Issue

Vol. 21 (2025): Motricidade

Section

Original Article

License

Authors retain copyright of their work.

Upon acceptance for publication, authors grant Sílabas Didáticas, LDA a non-exclusive licence to publish, reproduce, distribute, communicate the article to the public, and identify itself as the original publisher of the article in print and electronic formats, including its indexing and dissemination through databases, repositories, and other scholarly platforms.

All published articles are made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC 4.0).

This licence permits non-commercial use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and to Journal Motricidade, and that any changes made are indicated.

Authors may deposit the final published version of the article (Version of Record) in institutional repositories, subject repositories, academic networks, or personal websites, provided that the original publication is properly cited.