Maand: april 2021

I’ve only written one set-piece article on women’s football before this one and I want to write more. It’s a corner of the football world that deserves more attention and I genuinely find their set-pieces fascinating. That’s why I also wanted to focus on national teams. They don’t play as many games are domestic clubs, but their corner routines are very interesting nonetheless.

I’ve chosen to look at Sweden National Team as they seem to have particularly interesting routines and have been quite successful with them. In this analysis I not only look at the the successful corners routines that have resulted in a goal, but I also look at the deliveries of the set-pieces: where did they go, which were used the most and what the first ball contact was like.

I’ve looked at the last 60 attacking corners Sweden haven taken and made the analysis below. The video footage is from Wyscout.

Sweden vs USA

In the video above we see Sweden against the USA with an attacking corner. The corner comes from the left from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in towards the six-yard box, rather than swing out. We see a pass option on the left which can be used as a shorter pass option, after which that particular player will swing the ball into the box.

In the six-yard box we see two players a four player zonal structure with two man-markers. Just outside the six-yard box there is another player who makes a run forward. On the penalty spot we see two players who are trying to make a run forward against their man-makers, and just inside the penalty area we see a player unmarked who might anticipate the cleared ball.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see a lot of movement to the near post, but the deciding factor in this set-piece is the way the 2v2 is won by Sweden at the penalty spot and both players can go forward quite easily. This results in a header from the near post, guided to the far post, scoring a goal for Sweden.

Sweden vs Austria

In the video above we see corner routine number two and this is the game of Sweden against Austria. We see the corner taken from the right side with a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in. On the right there is an option for the short pass.

Just outside the penalty area we see a player who is tasked with the cleared balls, but also serves as the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack. Further more, we see one player in the six-yard box and a line of five players between the penalty spot and the six-yard box, waiting to make their runs forward.

As soon as the ball is kicked we seen that the unit of five breaks. Three players of that unit join the player in the six-yard box and move as an unit of four towards the near post. The other two players move to the central area with a bit more emphasis on making a run to the far post, which results in a very decent header into the goal of Austria.

Sweden vs Slovakia

In the video above we see Sweden in their game against Latvia. The corner is taken from the left by a right-footed player which means that the ball will swing in rather than out and that the runners have more possibilities to come in. We see the option for the short pass again, but this player is relatively marked tight by their opponent.

In the penalty area we a very characteristic set up by the Swedish outfit. We see one player in the six-yard box and then we see two units of two. Two player play wider from each other just outside the six-yard box, and on the penalty spot we see two player playing closer to each other. Deep in the penalty area we see another player who is looking to make run behind the defence.

As soon as the ball is kicked, the player sitting deep moves behind the defence and moves into the far post zone. She can do that because the other players all make runs forward to the near post. The ball is not cleared well enough by Slovakia and the unit of two that is playing close to each other, moves forward and can finish the set-piece and score a goal.

Sweden vs Latvia

In the video above we see Sweden play against Latvia in their attacking corner routine. The corner is taken from the left side by a right-footed player which means the ball will swing in rather than out. There is a player for the short pass option who can swing the ball in as well.

We see one player outside just inside the penalty area tasked with the cleared balls and/or rest-defence in case of a counter-attack. There is another player just outside the six-yard box who makes run into that box. The six-yard box is packed with four players trying to make the most of the ball swinging in.

This routine is different because the players are not making runs into the six-yard box, but are already there and anticipating the ball in that particular area. It’s all about winning aerial duels in that position. As soon as the ball is kicked the player just outside the six-yard box moves into that box and the five players make life very difficult for the defending side. The duel is won by one of the Sweden players and she converts the ball into a goal.

Final thoughts
The Swedish national makes very interesting runs going forward with their attacking corner routines as we have seen in the examples above. They have shown that the attention to the smallest details can give you an edge over the opposition when using set-pieces well.

O Flower of Scotland. When will we see your like again? The first lines of the Scottish anthem and they are beautiful. I always relate them to Scottish football in relation to the rest of Europe, but I’m well aware of the historical significance of the song. I’m saying this because I think that there’s nothing to compare to Scottish football bar Scottish football. Excellent country to delve into for set-piece analysis.

My eye turned to the Scottish Premiership and while there are a few teams that might seem obvious, I choose Dundee United to analyse. After being promoted at the end of the 2020 season they are doing quite well and staying up in the Scottish Premiership.

In the analysis below I will look deeper into the attacking corners of Dundee United in 2020-2021 and give six examples of corner routines they have executed in the last few games they have played.

Dundee United vs Aberdeen 

In the video above we see Dundee United in their game against Aberdeen. The corner is taken from the left side from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in. This can also be seen in the starting position of the runners, they play a bit deeper.

We see two player outside the penalty area for the cleared balls and/or in case of a counter-attack to guard the rest-defence. The player on the left also poses as an option for the short pass, so he occupies a player of the opposition as well. We see two player at the edge of the six-yard box in the near central and central zone. Three players on the edge of the penalty area act as a unit and are in the central and far central zone.

As soon as the ball is kicked we can see a change in the positioning of the players. We see that one player goes into the six-yard box, while the other play remains just outside the six-yard box. The unit of three makes a run forward, but the formation breaks into a 2-1 formation. The two players move towards the near post and the other player remains deep in the penalty area.

Dundee United vs Aberdeen

In the video above we see another exampe of Dundee United in their game against Aberdeen. The corner is taken from the left side from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in. This time the positioning of the runners is quite different.

This attacking routine is different because we have two units of two and a split unit of two as well. In the six-yard box we see two players against two man-markers and the keeper. The two players just outside the six-yard box are man-marked as well as they are positioned in the near central. A bit deeper we see one player inside the penalty area and one player just outside the area. The player inside the area is tasked with making runs, while the player outside the area is there for the clearances and/or rest defence.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see the two units of two move into the six-yard box and the player deeper inside the penalty area going to the penalty spot. We see a 4-1 formation closer to goal. Three players of that 4-man unit move towards the front post near zone while the other player stays in the central zone with a movement to the deep back post zone.

Dundee United vs Celtic

In the video above we see Dundee United in their game against Celtic. The corner is taken from the left side from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in rather than out. The ball will go to the six-yard box and the runners want to move into that area as well.

We see two players in the six-yard box pinned against two defenders from Celtic. In the deep back post zone we see another player of Dundee United and just inside the penalty area we see two players of Dundee United as well, who are planning to make a move forward to the area where the ball will be delivered.

As soon as the ball is kicked the two players just inside the penalty area and the player in the deep far post zone, move towards their goal. One player of the two goes to the near post as is the player from the deep far post zone – the other player moves to the far post where he receives the ball and attempts to have a shot on target.

Dundee United vs Kilmarnock

In the video above we see Dundee United in their game against Kilmarnock. The corner is taken from the right side from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in. The ball will turn away from the six-yard box and the runners want to move into the area that is deeper than when the ball would swing in.

In this situation we see a 3-2 formation in the penalty area from Dundee United. There are three players playing close to the edge of the six-yard box and two players are playing behind that in the area on the penalty spot. There is also one player playing in the six-yard box who occupies a man-marker and poses as a blocker.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see the two players on the penalty spot move forward and sideways. The left player moves into the near far post zone, while the right player moves towards the near post zone. The ball goes over the top and into the far post, but the delivery has not been adequate to make something out of it.

Dundee United vs Livingston

In this fifth and last example, we see Dundee United in their game against Livingston. The corner is taken from the left side from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in. The ball will turn away from the six-yard box and the runners want to move into the area that is deeper than when the ball would swing in.

We have a player for the short pass option on the left who would swing it when given the ball. There is a player outside the penalty area who is there for the cleared balls and the rest-defence. We have one player in the six-yard box pinned against the keeper and a man-marker, two players just outside the six-yard box, and two players deeper inside the penalty area.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see certain movements going forward. We see three of the four players in the penalty area move to the near post as soon as the ball is kicked. At the same time we see the other player who is in the box make a different run, as he moved to the far post anticipating the ball coming there. In this case he doesn’t make that run, but there is space for him to go into.

Final thoughts
Dundee United is an incredibly interesting team to look for corners as they have a few standard routines, but they switch it up with deep runners and positioning in the six-yard box. The breaking of units in the set-pieces formation makes it possible to confuse the opposition and gain advantage when attacking the ball from a corner.

Since I’ve started writing about set-pieces I’ve only concentrated on set-pieces in men’s football. This has no specific reason other than there is broader variety of leagues with good coverage. This, however, is starting to change. Thankfully. There are loads of interesting sides in the women’s game and that’s why I’m writing about them, because there are interesting to look and have exciting routines.

There are different countries with great leagues in the women’s game and different top teams obviously, although the traditional top countries in men’s football are starting to catch up. I’ve always been fascinated with Scandinavian football anad that’s why I choose to look at Sweden.

I’ve chosen to look at Sweden’s Linköping FC and their attacking routine as they are a side that performs well and is always up there to take into account. In this analysis, I will focus on the goals scored from attacking corners, because I want to illustrate what routines have been successful too. In the analysis below I’ve looked at four different goals scored from a corner in the Swedish Damallsvenskan .

A little disclaimer: the season has just started and I appreciate it’s a small sample, but I’m looking at four corner routines from the first two games of the season.

Linköping vs FC Rosengård

In the video above we see Linköping have an attacking corner vs FC Rosengård from the left. The ball is kicked by a right-footed player meaning the ball will swing in, towards the six-yard box. In the six-yard box we have one player standing close to the keeper and one player just outside the six-yard box. Those two play against the four-player zonal structure. 

On the penalty spot we have three players of Linköping against three opponents, as they try to make a move forward in order to attack the ball. Outside the penalty area there are two players guarding the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack, but also to attack the ball in case of a cleared ball.

As soon as the corner is kicked, the unit of three moves forward into the near post area. The creativity in this routine is that they try to go like a train and have space between them. This makes it harder for the opponent to defend and gives the attacking side more opportunities to create something out of this set-piece. 

Linköping vs FC Rosengård

Above you can see another corner routine by Linköping against Rosengård. The routine is different on a few details. In this corner we see a left-footed player taking the corner which means that the ball will swing out, away from the six-yard box. We see a player outside the penalty area on the left, which is there for the short pass option.

In the six-yard box we have one player standing close to the keeper and one player just outside the six-yard box. Those two play against the four-player zonal structure and one specific man-marker. On the penalty spot, we have three players of Linköping against three opponents, as they try to make a move forward in order to attack the ball. Outside the penalty area there is one player guarding the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack, but also to attack the ball in case of a cleared ball.

As soon as the corner is kicked, the unit of three moves forward into the near post area. The creativity in this routine is that they try to go like a train and have space between them. This makes it harder for the opponent to defend and gives the attacking side more opportunities to create something out of this set-piece. This time they don’t keep in an order, but the second placed player moves into the most front position.

Linköping vs AIK

In the video above we see an attacking corner by Linköping in their game against AIK. We see that the corner is taken from the left side by a right-footed player, meaning that the ball will swing in, into the six-yard box. There are two players in the six-yard box against a three player zonal marking structure. 

On the penalty spot, we have the three players that make a run towards either the near post or far post. They act as a unit of three most times, but not always. Outside the penalty area there are two players guarding the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack, but also to attack the ball in case of a cleared ball.

As soon as the ball is kicked, the ball goes to the far post and the unit of three players becomes a 2-1 formation making a run. In the end they move to the central and far post, trying to make the most of this deep ball.

Linköping vs AIK

In the video above we see an attacking corner by Linköping in their game against AIK. We see that the corner is taken from the right side by a left-footed player, meaning that the ball will swing in, into the six-yard box. There are five players in the six-yard box.

Outside the penalty area there are two players guarding the first line of defence in case of a counter-attack, but also to attack the ball in case of a cleared ball. There is also a player there for the short pass option.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see that the unit of five players breaks and we have a 3-2 formation in that six-yard box. The front two players move the near post in order to head the ball towards goal or to head it backswards to the three playes that run more centrally.

Final thoughts
It has been incredibly interesting to look at the set-piece routines from a team playing in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. The difference in inswingers and outswingers can definitely make a difference when going forward to score a goal.

Until now I’ve based my analysis on attacking corners of several clubs that don’t feature in the top-5 leagues in Europe, but that’s just one part of set-piece analysis. As we all know they are attacking routines to master, but also a defensive set up to master. In this analysis, I will focus on the defensive set up by a team.

Looking at defensive set ups is a different story from attacking routines. In attacking routines you try to escape the defensive set up via different runs and creating opportunities. Defensive set ups are designed to defend against a variety of attacking runs in order to deal with set-pieces correctly.

In this defensive corner analysis, I will focus on Paris FC’s defensive corners. The Parisians played in Ligue 2 and are currently 6th in the table.

Paris FC vs EA Guingamp

In the video above we can see Paris FC defending a corner against EA Guingamp. The corner is taken from the left from a right-footed player, meaning that the corner will swing towards goal rather than to the deep penalty area. In the six-yard box, we see one player from the opponent (in red) and three players from Paris FC: the player in front of the opponent is a man-marker and marks the player in the box. The other two players are zonal-markers, the first player marking the zonal area at the near post and the second player marking the zonal area behind that in the six-yard box.

At the far central zone and deep back post we see a 4v4 situation with four runners from the opposition and four man-markers from Paris FC. They are tasked with blocking the runs and/or clearing the ball when the ball gets in that position. Now they don’t remain in that position because of movements, but still are able to defend the ball near the six-yard box.

Deeper into the high back post we see another zonal-marker close to the edge of the penalty area. In this case, it doesn’t seem like he is included in the play but the ball often comes in that area after a clearance or a player tries to advance from the middle third. In the front far zone, we see a man-marker who marks the opponent who offers himself as a short pass option.

Paris FC vs EA Guingamp

In the video above we can see Paris FC defending another corner against EA Guingamp. The corner is taken from the right from a right-footed player, meaning that the corner will swing away from goal rather than to the six-yard box. In the six-yard box, we see two players. These zonal-markers, the first player marking the zonal area at the near post and the second player marking the zonal area behind that in the six-yard box.

At the far central zone and deep back post we see a 5v5 situation with four runners from the opposition and four man-markers from Paris FC. They are tasked with blocking the runs and/or clearing the ball when the ball gets in that position. Now they don’t remain in that position because of movements, but still are able to defend the ball near the six-yard box. This is slightly different from the previous corner where there would be one player in the six-yard box man-marking and 4v4, but not it’s a 5v5.

Deeper into the high back post we see two zonal-marker close to the edge of the penalty area. In this case, it doesn’t seem like he is included in the play but the ball often comes in that area after a clearance or a player tries to advance from the middle third. In this case, there is no option for the short pass to be given, hence the two zonal markers at the edge of the penalty area.

Paris FC vs Clermont Foot

In the video above we see Paris FC playing against Clermont Foot. Clermont takes the corner from the left with a left-footed player, meaning that the ball will swing out rather than in. In the six-yard box, we see two players. These zonal-markers, the first player marking the zonal area at the near post and the second player marking the zonal area behind that in the six-yard box.

At the far central zone and deep back post we see a 4v4 situation with four runners from the opposition and four man-markers from Paris FC. They are tasked with blocking the runs and/or clearing the ball when the ball gets in that position. Now they don’t remain in that position because of movements, but still are able to defend the ball near the six-yard box. There is also a man-marker just in front of the four-man defending unit, as he’s occupied with the sole striker just outside the six-yard box.

Deeper into the front far zone we see another zonal-marker close to the edge of the penalty area. In this case, it doesn’t seem like he is included in the play but the ball often comes in that area after a clearance or a player tries to advance from the middle third.

Paris FC vs Rodez AF

In the video above we see Paris FC in their game against Rodez AF. In this example the corner comes from the left side from a right-footed player, which means that the ball will swing in to the six-yard box. In the six-yard box, we see two players. These zonal-markers, the first player marking the zonal area at the near post and the second player marking the zonal area behind that in the six-yard box.

At the far central zone and deep back post we see a 4v4 situation with four runners from the opposition and four man-markers from Paris FC. They are tasked with blocking the runs and/or clearing the ball when the ball gets in that position. Now they don’t remain in that position because of movements, but still are able to defend the ball near the six-yard box.

Near the six-yard box there is a man-marker who marks the striker in the six-yard box. Further more we have a zonal-marker on the left-side of the penalty, just outside it. He applies zonal marking and this is needed in terms of the short pass option on the left.

Final thoughts
Paris FC had caught my eyes for some seasons, but always on the attacking side of the game. It was very interesting to see how they defend corners in Ligue 2 and how they applied a two player zonal structure in the six-yard box and a third zonal-marker on the edge of the penalty area.

Analysing set-pieces is what I’ve been doing the most over the past week or two, and it’s very interesting to see different levels and different deliveries in set-piece. Previously I’ve analysed Hansa Rostock, Dundalk FC and Grulla Morioka – but this time my focus went to a league that has been overshadowed by it’s bigger brother, I’m talking about the Serie B.

Why Italy? Many people have the perception that Italian football is all about defending. While the Italian still defend very interesting, the attacking movements by teams in Italy are worth watching. Yes, I know your question: why not Serie A? – I think that the top 5 leagues in Europe already have so much coverage that I want to refrain from writing on them, especially on set-pieces. Some teams will feature in the Serie A in the next seasons to come and it’s a nice way of introducing these teams to a broader audience.

The Serie B is full of interesting sides. Teams with great history, teams who have been up and down the Italian professional game and teams with modern ideas. I’ve chosen AC Monza for this case study as their are in the promotion battle to go to the Serie A, but also are on top when looking at set-pieces. 

In this analysis, I will focus on the goals scored from attacking corners, because I want to illustrate what routines have been successful too. In the analysis below I’ve looked at six different goals scored from a corner in the Italian Serie B.

Monza vs Pescara

In the video above you see Monza in the game against Pescara. As you can see the corner is taken form the left side and is taken by a right-footed player which means that the ball will swing in rather than swing out, which would have been the case with a left-footed taker.

On the left we see one player standing for the shorter pass option. He could receive the ball and cross it himself, or give it back to the original corner taker. We also see one player in the penalty to the right-hand side, who is anticipating a ball deeper into the penalty area. In the middle we have five players who are guarded by five defending players who are looking to make runs into the six-yard box. Pescara has two obvious zonal markers: on the near post and one closer to the edge of the penalty area.

As soon as the corner is taken we see a few movements in the penalty area. Kevin-Prince Boateng makes a movement behind the defensive line and moves towards the far post. At the same time, Davide Frattesi makes a similar run behind the defensive line, but he moves to the front post. This has the result that there is one player relatively free on the near post and one on the far post. In the end, it’s Frattesi scoring a goal at the near post.

Monza vs Virus Entella

In the video above you see Monza in the game against Virus Entella. This time the corners is taken from the right by right-footed player, which means that the ball swing out – away from goal. For that reason the Monza players begin closer to the edge of the penalty area and make a run to attack it.

In this case there is no option for a short pass, but the eight players concerned with this offensive corner routine are divided in two different roles. The two players just outside the penalty area are concerned with the cleared balls from the six-yard and looking to break the counter-attack. In this case the rest-defence is with a bit more risk, as the two players play high up the pitch. The six players in the penalty area move as two units of three towards the six-yard box and they need to make runs to set themselves in a good position. This is because Virus Entella plays complete zonal marking with corners.

The idea is that the corner taker will deliver the ball in the six-yard box and a bit closer to the near post, in the hope that one or two players are too quick and escape the zonal markers to convert the corner into a goal. This can also be seen in this routine. The run by Scaglia goes to exactly that area where the ball is delivered and heads the ball into the goal.

Monza vs Pordenone

In the video above we see the third attacking corner routine of Monza, this time in the game against Pordenone. The corners is again taken from the right with no short passing option, meaning that the ball will go deeper and swing out.

We see two players standing outside of the penalty area, but they play deeper – which means that they are tasked with a more defensive duty. They need to get the cleared balls back into the box or are tasked with breaking counter-attacks as the first line of rest-defence. One player stands just outside the penalty box and is making a run into the box. There are two units of two players: one just inside the penalty area and one just outside the six-yard box. These units will make runs straight forward. On the left we have one player drawing defender to him, forcing a defender to make choices andd one player on the right who is unmarked and will make a run to the near post.

Kevin-Prince Boateng who stands wide on the left-side, turns more inverted and joins the far post. At the same time we see that the wide player on the right, Davide Frattesi moves toward the near post in order to attack the corner. The corner is again delivered in the area of the near post against the zonal marking employed by Pordenone. The endresult is the same: a goal from Monza at the near post.

Monza vs Frosinone

In the video above we see footage of a corner routine in the game against Frosinone. The corner is taken from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing towards goal. A consequence of that is that players’ starting position for their runs is closer to the six-yard box.

There is one player on the left for a shorter pass option. He stand further away than in the previous examples, but the idea is that when he receives the ball, he will swing it in too but with a tighter angle. There are two players outside the penalty area anticipating cleared balls or to break any counter-attacks. On the edge of the penalty area there is one player sitauted, while in the penalty area there are 5 players who are man-marked but will run into the zonal marked six-yard box.

In the middle, there is a unit of two who make runs to the zonal marked six-yard box, but in doing so they break their united with each of the players going a separate direction: near post and the far post. The three other players also go near the near post, which means there opens space at the far post. The ball is headed towards the far post, which makes it easy to tap in at the far post, as illustrated in the video above.

Monza vs Brescia

In the video above we see the game against Brescia with the corner taken from the right side by a right-footed player. This means that the corner will swing out and the runners come from the edge of the penalty area rather than closer to the six-yard box.

This routine is not too different from the ones already looked at, but in this case, we see a player stand wide separate from the unit. That’s the player one should focus on as he will get into the near post and try to head the ball in the goal from the delivery. The two players in front going in to anticipate, but to also block defenders into going to one the post – also creating space at the far post for the four players on the edge of the penalty area.

The wide player on the edge of the box make a run to the near post where three defenders are marking zonally. Because of the threat of the other players it’s difficult for those three defenders to control all the runs, which Frattesi takes advantage of and heads the ball into goal from the near post.

Monza vs Virus Entella

In this last attacking corner routine we look at the reverse game against Virtus Entella of Monza. The ball is kicked from the right with a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out and that can be seen in the positioning of the players in and around the box: they sit deeper.

There is an option for the short pass on the right and we also see one player sitting deep outside the penalty area. This player is tasked with the cleared balls and as the first line of defence in the case there is a counter-attack from Entella. There are two units of three used in and around the penalty area. Three sit on the edge of the penalty area and three sit on the penalty spot.

As soon as the ball is kicked we see that most players in the penalty area move towards the near post, but the ball is going to the penalty spot. At the same time we see Kevin-Prince Boateng breaking from the unit he was in and moving to the far post. As a result the ball is headed towards the far post from the penalty spot and the Monza attacker can head the ball in the goal.

Final thoughts
It was very interesting to analyse the successful set-pieces by Monza in the Serie B. What was particularly interesting was the way the defences of the opponents failed to deal with the units breaking up and making runs into separate directions, which proved to be a good way to score goals from offensive corners.

Video: Wyscout
Telestration: Metrica Play

I’m genuinely intrigued, captivated and enchanted by set-pieces at this point. You might have seen that this is the third set-piece analysis article I’m writing in the last week or so, but I genuinely love them. Underappreciated and undervalued, but the effect of a set-piece can change a game or tilt the moment within a game. There are so many different routines and that’s why I continue writing these lovely analyses.

From Hansa Rostock to Dundalk, I’m concentrating on a whole different continent today. To be precise, I’m looking at the offensive corner routines of Grulla Morioka in Japan. They play in the third tier of Japanese football, the J3 League. Again, I’ve chosen this team and league to see how this is different from the top teams in Europe and to assess the qualities of that particular team in terms of set-pieces.

Grulla Morioka currently leads the J3 after fives games played and they have not lost since the start of the competition. Their aim will surely be to keep on top and get promotion to J2 League, but that’s something to concentrate on for the the future. I’m going to look at their attacking corner routines in their games this season.

Grulla Morioka vs Vanraure Hachinohe

In the video above you can see the first attacking corner routine as carried out by Grulla Morioka. They have set up as follows. The corner kick is taking from the right from a left-footed player, meaning the ball will swing in rather than swing out. There are two players standing outside the penalty area who have both a defending and attacking function; making sure to break any counter-attack or attacking the ball when it’s cleared by the defending team. In and around the six-yard box we see six players, but they have been divided in two units of three – as I’ve illustrated by connecting them in red.

At the moment the ball is kicked we see two separate runs/routines. The nearest unit moves as as an united to the near post luring defenders to the near post. At the same time, the second unit breaks. It’s expected that the unit moves into the space centrally, but only the player highlighted makes that run. In the process the defence is confused by the two player that stay deeper at the far post.

Those two players at the far post don’t get the ball, but in the case that one of the players at the near post heads the ball to the far post, they will have a clear opportunity to score a goal.

Grulla Morioka vs Imabari FC

In the video above we can see Grulla Morioka in their game against Imabari FC. The corner is taken by a left-footed player, meaning that it will swing in rather than out. Just like in the first corner routine – there are two players that are standing outside the penalty area with the function of attacking any cleared balls and providing guidance in case of a counter-attack.

When we look at what happens inside the penalty are we see that Morioka employs two units again. They have two units in this routine, but they each consist of two player instead of three. One unit occupies themselves centrally and the other unit stands at the near post. There’s one player standing deep into the penalty area, even past the far post who will make a run closer to the goal.

When the ball is kicked the front unit moves even more towards the corner on the right, dragging defenders with them. The other unit stays centrally, but because there is more space, the far post player moves in that position to create an overload in the air and hopefully head the ball on goal.

In this case the ball is touched and goes to the far post and there is no one there to profit from it, but it creates threat in the middle.

Grulla Morioka vs Nagano Parceiro

In the game against Nagano Parceiro, Morioka displayed a different routine to the ones mentioned before. In the video above we can see this. We see one player offering himself for the short pass option and we see another player standing outside the penalty area, who is responsible for guarding the first defensive duties in case of a counter-attack. In the penalty area we see one player at the penalty sport and we see another player standing in the six-yard box. The player in the six-yard box is tasked with blocking the defenders, while the player on the penalty spot tries to make use of that block, in running towards goal.

Past the far post, deeper into the penalty area we see a united of three who are guarded by three defending players. Their task is to make runs into the penalty area and move close to the far post. As we can see, the ball is played short and back, after which the right-footed player plays the ball deep into the penalty area.

The two players centrally move to the near post, which creates space in the middle and at the far post – as they drag players with them. That space is there to attack by the unit of three at the far post and the ball is played to them. A special role has been assigned to the player highlighted. He makes a run forward like the other players in the unit, but he also makes a run sideways so he ends up at the back – trying to confuse his marker.

Grulla Morioka vs Nagano Parceiro

In the video above we see another corner routine from Morioka, but this is from the same game as in attacking corner routine number 3. The idea of this corner doesn’t change on a lot of points, but the difference is in the details.

This time, the corner is taking from the right from a right-footed player, meaning the ball will swing out rather than in, which makes that the ball will land more in the middle of the penalty area. There is a short pass option and there’s one player standing just outside the penalty area to guard the line of defence and to attack the cleared ball. Again we see a unit of three past the far post and deep into the penalty area, while we see two players close to the six-yard box. The player closest to the goal has the task to drag his marker to an area that creates space elsewhere. That space can be attacked by the player on the penalty spot or by the three-man unit.

What’s different in this run is the way the three-man unit portray themselves in the run. Instead of playing close to each other, they break with one player going centrally, one player going to the far post and one player remaining on his position. This has the function that the ball can be played deep into the penalty area and there are different players to attack it, but it also has the function that the defenders need to make a decision if they defend the ball or the attacking players.

Final thoughts

Going into this analysis I didn’t know what to expect from the level of J3 League, but the routines were very interesting to see. Obviously the delivery and technique is different from top competitions in Europe, but that means that the players are more creative in their runs and details.

Game footage: Wyscout
Telestration: Metrica Play

Last week I posted the first part of the offensive corners analysis on Hansa Rostock and today I’m sharing part two of the offensive corners analysis. In this part I will look more closely at the offensive corners employed by Dundalk FC, playing in the League of Ireland. As also said in the previous article, I want to look at leagues that are really interesting but not as known with the bigger public as the top-5 leagues are. The League of Ireland is such a league in my opinion.

Dundalk FC are currently 9th in the top tier of Ireland after 5 games played and are waiting for their first win. In this analysis I will look more closely to their corner routine in attack through four examples that can be found below in video-format.

This analysis deals primarily with the fact of how Dundalk weaponed itself against dominant man-marking in the box and how their runs were constructed in the attacking corners. I found that the corners that were swinging in or out had no significance effect on the routine, therefore this is not included in the four examples I have looked at.

Dundalk vs Bohemians Dublin

In the video above you can Dundalk playing against Bohemians in an attacking corner against a team that does mostly man marking. The key in playing against these kind of defences is to get away from your direct marker, so you need to be creative in your runs – and so does your routine.

There is one player in the six-yard box standing between the keeper and defender to make sure to give them both a difficult time. There is also one player just outside the penalty area who seems to have two task: getting the cleared ball, but also trying to break a counter attack if there would be one.

The routine is focused on the five players who stand inside the penalty area and their runs. There are two runs that open the defence. The number 9 is going behind the defenders and going left towards the near post, while number 17 is going behind the defenders as well towards the far post. In doing so they are dragging defenders with them, opening up space in the middle.

The triangle in the middle is what remain with the two front players moving forward in order to attack the corner. Import here is that the back player stays on his position, which could confuse the defenders in what decision to make.

Dundalk vs Shamrock Rovers

In the game against Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk employed an attacking corner which was consisting of three couples or three duos. First of all you see the short pas option to the right side as well as a player just outside the penalty area tasked with the cleared ball and/or breaking the possible counter attack through the middle.

There are three duos, one in the middle of the penalty, one on the far post side, and one just on the edge of the box. They all have different runs, as you can see in the video. The two in the middle move forward, but they split – one goes to the near post and the other remains centrally but progresses. The duo on the far post splits up and both run in opposite directions of each other, dragging defenders out of the box and near the far post. The duo that makes a run from the edge of the penalty box moves to the far post.

Again the intention is to create runs in different directions to drag the compact defensive unit away from each other so that there opens more space in the area the ball is played into.

Dundalk vs Finn Harps FC

In the game against Finn Harps Dundalk sought to attacking in corners with the three duos again, but with slightly different roles in moving forward. As you can see in the video above, there was one player just outside the penalty area with another player behind him for the rest defence and to act on the cleared balls from the corner.

The duo in the middle – at the penalty spot – moves forward and towards the near post as soon as the ball is kicked from the side. The duo playing more to the right breaks up at the exact moment with the right player making a run towards the near post as well to join the other the two players, while number 5 doesn’t make a run and keeps on his position.

The duo who runs from the edge of the penalty area moves as a unit forward, but are not going to the near post. They are going into the space opened in the middle, because everyone is going to the near post. This duo moves forward in the hope that the ball will arrive deeper.

Dundalk vs Shamrock Rovers

In the previous routines, we saw that Dundalk used three separate units that made runs into the box and in different directions. As you can see in the video above, this is slightly different in this routine employed by Dundalk in another game against Shamrock Rovers. They move in two separate units in this case.

In the beginning, we see six players in the penalty area and one player for the short pass option standing next to the corner-taker. There is one player standing just outside the six-yard box, while five other players are standing just inside the penalty area. When the corner is taken they form one massive unit – which makes it difficult for Shamrock Rovers to handle.

When the ball is taken, the unit of six breaks and there are three entities formed from the six players. Three player go to the near post to attack the ball, two players are going to the far post and move more centrally when the ball lands at the near post, and one player remains centrally and goes a bit more back to the edge of the penalty area to anticipate any cleared ball.

Final thoughts
After analysing Hansa Rostock, this was a completely different league and set-piece routine to look at, but very interesting as well, because it dealt with man-marking in the box. The art of luring and dragging defenders in opposite directions can be very useful when confronted with dominant man-marking defending with set-pieces.

This website is a place for me to share my work with you in the hope that you find it useful and can develop it into something that works for you. It’s also a project for me as I work towards different types of analysis. That’s why I’m introducting a new series on this website: set-piece analysis. In this series I will look at the different approaches of set-pieces by clubs that are not widely known as Europe’s elite. In the first part I will look at the attacking corners routine of Hansa Rostock, currently second in the German 3. Liga.

Hansa Rostock is a former East-German champion and has played in the Bundesliga for more than a decade, but since then has struggled to come back from the 2. Bundesliga and now even playing in the 3. Liga. This season they are performing excellent as their second place tells us, just behind league leaders Dynamo Dresden – another former East-German great.

This analysis is dealt into two different aspects. I will look at how Hansa Rostock does attack when confronted with zonal marking – or where most players are marking zonally – and concentrates on attacking with a man-marking opponent. The footage is downloaded from Wyscout.

Hansa Rostock vs Türkgücü München

Hansa Rostock’s attacking corners are usually taken by swinging the ball towards goal – so in this case on the left by a right-footed player. As illustrated in the video above there are few elements to digest here. There’s a man available for a short pass and give a cross that poses more threat. There are two players outside the penalty area who could try to shoot from distance, but also guard the rest defence.

Türkgücü is marking zonally in a 4-3 with one man marker in the box. Two players of Hansa Rostock are in the xis-yard box. Four players of Hansa Rostock are runners who make their move forward as soon as the ball is played. Instead of all four going in one direction, there is a divide: the three left players move to the near post, while the right player goes to the far post. Because the two players in the six-yard box also move toward the near post, there’s a lot of space on the far post and they utilise it well.

Hansa Rostock vs FC Magdeburg

Above you can see a corner routine with a quite similar situation as the one against Türkgücü, but this was a little bit different in the game against Magdeburg. There were two players in the six-yard box, where the opponent marked zonally with five players. They also had three blockers against the three runners of Hansa Rostock. Hansa Rostock employed three runners in this case and left space open for the player outside the penalty area.

In this scenario there was no option for the short pass and this had to do with the transition ability of Magdeburg, because they were very strong transitioning from defence to attack, and therefore the rest defence consisted of more players.

The three runners create the distraction as they make their move forward, dragging the three defending players with them. This gives the set-piece taker the room and time to pass the ball to the player outside the box, who tries to volley the ball towards goal. This is an extremely difficult technical thing to do, but the run by the three runners makes it possible to even control it too before shooting.

Hansa Rostock vs Dynamo Dresden

In the game against Dynamo Dresden, Hansa Rostock needed a different approach to their attacking corners, because of the rigid zonal marking employed by Dynamo Dresden. They have five defenders on the deepest line and three in front of that. This meant that Hansa Rostock employed four players between those eight players. There’s is short passing option here and two players on the edge of the penalty area.

The four players in the six-yard box make a run towards the near post and even more forward with two possible options: they either try to head it to the far post or convert into a goal. The two players on the edge of the penalty area make two seperate runs with the left player moving towards the far post – anticipating getting the ball from the four players at the near post.

It’s worth noting that Dynamo Dresden has a man at the post, so the free player on the left would have difficulties converting it, but he had space to do something with the ball – when he would receive it.

Hansa Rostock vs Hallescher FC

In the game against Hallescher FC we saw the attacking routine above. There are two players in the six-yard box against three players of Hallescher who are man marking here. They are tasked with eyeing the direct opponent. Hansa Rostock has three players or runners in the penalty area who make moves forward and they are confronted with three blockers from Hallescher. On the right side we another Hansa Rostock player, but he is also man marked by a player of Hallescher FC.

On the left we see the short pass option again and two players nearing the penalty area who could shoot from longe range, but also guard the rest defence in case of a transition.

The focus lies on the three runners who act like a triangle. Two front and one the back. The two front runners go a different side each, one to the near post and one more to the center, while the ‘back’ player also runs forward towards the center of the goal. The far post area is occupied by the player on the right who makes a run into that area.

Hansa Rostock vs VfB Lübeck

In the game against VfB Lübeck, Hansa Rostock tried something different with the corner takers. This time the ball was kicked by a right-footed player from the right, meaning that the ball would turn away from the goal. Again, there are two players in the six-yard box against four defenders from VfB Lübeck. 

We see the shorter pass option again with the two players guarding rest defence as well. What’s interesting to see is that is a player just on the edge of the penalty area and he is anticipating when the ball is cleared and to shoot or pass the ball into a danger area.

The triangle of three runners is doing their thing again with a slightly different approach. The two front runners move toward the near post – as are the two players in the six-yard box – while the back runner moves behind everyone else towards the far post. The ball is headed by one of the front runners towards goal, but if he connected it to the far post – it could have been a goal. The player at the far post had space and time to do so.

Hansa Rostock vs Fortuna Köln

In this last corner routine, I look at, Hansa Rostock is playing against Fortuna Köln. Again this out swinging ball from the left side and again, there is the shorter pass option. We can also see one player outside the penalty area and the reason why this is one player instead of two, is because of the pace of transition employed by Fortuna Köln.

There is one player in the six-yard box double marked with four runners on the edge of the penalty area, who are defended by four blockers of Fortuna Köln. We have seen the triangle before but this time it’s a 3-1 formation making the run – with the same player at the back making a run behind towards the far post. The other runners + the sole attacker in the six-yard box move towards the first post – creating space.

Final thoughts

It was incredibly interesting to see how this team that is fighting for promotion to the 2. Bundesliga, was doing in terms of offensive corners and the different variations to them. Although they have not been the most prolific team from corners, they seem to give the opponent real trouble whenever they have a corner and I will keep on watching closely on how their routines will evolve in the future.

Game footage: Wyscout
Telestration: Metrica Play