Seattle Reign coach Laura Harvey revealed how she used the popular AI tool ChatGPT ahead of the season to help devise winning tactics.
This unconventional approach proved extremely successful, launching her team from last season’s second-to-last place in the the very top of the NWSL league (American professional women’s league) and the playoffs, writes Goal.com.
AI as a tactical advisor
Harvey, who has been in charge of the Reign since 2021, admitted on the “Soccerish” podcast that she asked the artificial intelligence for advice to improve her team’s play. She typed in a simple question: “Which formation should be played to beat the NWSL teams?”.
The answers she received suggested how to play against each rival team, and for two of them the technology recommended a formation with five players in defense. This became the basis for her tactics throughout the season.
Revolution with five in defense
Although she has been in coaching for almost 20 years, Harvey admitted that she had never used a five-man defense before. The analysis she received from ChatGPT prompted her to think about new tactical settings. “I never did much research on it,” she said, reports Index.
“I’ve never, say, analyzed it in women’s football. I’ve always just watched it from afar, watching the men’s games.” She added that such a formation was traditionally considered a tool for saving results at the end of the game, and not as a system to start with.
It was always talked about as a way to end games. You know, you take the lead and switch to the back five and prevent the opponents from scoring, that’s how the back five was always talked about, she explained.
Inspiration, not a ready-made recipe
Harvey stressed, however, that she did not blindly adopt the system proposed by the technology. The proposal served as an idea which was then studied and adapted in detail by its expert staff, which resulted in a completely new approach to the game.
We researched it, we studied it in detail, we thought about how we could play it, she continued. And we went with it, and we loved it. It worked. We won the first couple of games, added the American coach.
Whatever changes the AI recommends have clearly borne fruit. Reign last season was one of the worst teams in the league, finishing 13th out of 14 places. This year, they are fourth, with 10 wins in 25 games, and depending on other results, they could secure home court advantage in at least one round of the playoffs.
(www.jabuka.tv)
