Static resource match: The request URL matches a real existing resource (e.g. /downloads/catalog.pdf)
File (also symlinked): Gets downloaded to the client, no magic here.
Directory: E.g. directory index (depends on the web server and its configuration).
Alias match: The request URL matches an arbitrary alias (e.g. /contact). There's no conclusive interrelation between the alias and the page content.
Pattern match: The request URL matches a particular pattern and resolves to a list of well known parameters (e.g. /2016/05/28/1-article/1). The parameter values control the content of the page, which is generated in a rule-based way.
Both alias and pattern matches are dispatched to distinct Actions, following an ADR approach