  Is it possible to have a unique, recognizable style in soccer nowadays? We
address this question by proposing a method to quantify the motif
characteristics of soccer teams based on their pass networks. We introduce the
the concept of "flow motifs" to characterize the statistically significant pass
sequence patterns. It extends the idea of the network motifs, highly
significant subgraphs that usually consists of three or four nodes. The
analysis of the motifs in the pass networks allows us to compare and
differentiate the styles of different teams. Although most teams tend to apply
homogenous style, surprisingly, a unique strategy of soccer exists.
Specifically, FC Barcelona's famous tiki-taka does not consist of uncountable
random passes but rather has a precise, finely constructed structure.
