Now more than ever, the importance of set pieces in growing in the game at all levels. From local club teams all the way up to the Premier League (where Arsenal is competing to win the league on set piece mastery and some other tactics that this bitter Tottenham fan does not have a lot of positive things to say about) the best teams are spending and investing more and more into set pieces.
Why? The game of soccer is always changing. When a pass is played from one player to another, the picture changes and all 22 players on the field have now changed their spot on the field and the image of the field the player receiving the ball had when the pass was played to him has completely changed by the time he receives it. Set pieces are the one spot in the game where there is a pause, you can rehearse the actions that are going to happen and you can scout an opponent’s actions on those set pieces and prepare for those moments. Data from recent major tournaments has shown that 25% of goals are scored on set pieces, which is a significant number when you consider that 1 of every 4 goals you score or concede will be from some sort of set piece action. If the team that is five points clear at the top of the Premier League table is investing time, money, personnel and resources into mastering this important aspect of the game, so should you.
Today I am going to share with you the power of the Short Corner tactic. This under utilized tactic can be used to give your team better opportunities to score more off corners with higher percentage crossing opportunities. For context, the data shows that the two most effective crosses that can be played in the game are the inswinging cross to the back post and the cutback cross to the PK spot. The closer you are to the net when you play these crosses, the better your chances of scoring are, If played correctly, the short corner will give your team these opportunities, leading to more goals.
For the short corner, have two players by the corner flag standing over the corner. In the box you can choose whichever tactics you usually choose to deploy. I like having four players at the top of the box cross and run into 4 designated zones The fifth player on the goalie peels off to the back post, creating two in that last zone and creating opportunities for him to get lost in the mix and arrive open at the back post to tap in any garbage or deflected balls that get through. On the corner play itself, if the defending team only sends one player out to defend the two players taking the corner, the play is ALWAYS on. If the player is encroaching, have your players stop and ask the ref for the five yards your players are entitled to on set pieces, then begin the play. This play is VERY effective when done quickly and before the other team can set up and realize the short corner is coming.
On the kick, the player who is capable of delivering and inswinger cross to the back post (in this diagram it would be a right footed player) kicks to the other player who is standing on the corner flag. The player who receives the ball begins driving to the near post while the player who passed the ball overlaps, automatically creating a 2v1 situation. From here the defending player will have the choice of either staying with the ball or defending the overlap.
If the defender jumps the ball and defends the near post dribble drive, the offensive player should play the ball to his overlapping teammate. He then will have the opportunity to cross the ball back post for runners or even at times will be presented with a shooting opportunity.
If the defender jumps the overlap the player who has the ball continues his dribble and then delivers a driven cutback to the PK spot.
If the defending team sends a second defender to defend the corner, that means there is one less player somewhere else on the field and more space for someone to make a play on the ball in the box, so just deliver the cross and run your usual corner techniques.
