WSL loses knack of long-range goals
hfitter
defenders and better goalkeeping in professional era mean that Coventry’s 30-yard screamer this week was a rarity
The destination of the Women’s Super League title may still be shrouded in doubt, but one thing seems more certain: it is unlikely to be decided by a long-range screamer.
This is no reflection on the shooting prowess of Chelsea or Arsenal, the sides tussling for the trophy tomorrow. Instead, it is part of a trend in elite English women’s football that goals from distance are becoming far less frequent.
Mollie Green’s 97th-minute, 30-yard free-kick to save Coventry United from relegation from the Championship last Sunday may have deservedly gone viral on social media, but it was a rarity.
In the WSL this season, just 13.6 per cent of goals have been scored from outside the box, the lowest proportion yet in a full campaign, excluding the shortened 2017 Spring Series. The longer-term data indicates that this season’s figures are consistent with a decade-long trend, as the ratio of goals being scored from outside the box has steadily decreased since 2011. But why?
Many attribute it to the WSL going professional in 2018, and players starting to train full time.
Those in the game suggest this has boosted fitness levels to such an extent that attackers are not afforded the same space when they are within shooting range, and goalkeepers are better trained to save any that do come their way.
Asked about the subject, some WSL coaches said that full-time training had led to much betterorganised pressing off the ball, similarly reducing opportunities to shoot from distance.
“All the goalkeepers now have goalkeeper coaching from a young age, so they get to their 30,000 hours of practice, elite measures, and they’re hitting those hours by the time they’re 21,” former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-finnis says. “That’s why we’re seeing young keepers such as Hannah Hampton and Ellie Roebuck in England positions.
“Then at senior level, you are now getting consistent training day-to-day that keeps you sharp. It’s that expertise that you need,
Chelsea will be crowned champions if they win at home to Manchester United. If they draw, Arsenal will win the title if they beat West Ham. If Chelsea lose, Arsenal will also win the title if they draw. In the race for the third and final Champions League spot, Manchester City will qualify if they win at Reading. A draw would be enough, as long as fourth-placed United do not beat Chelsea by 10 goals. City can also qualify for Europe even if they lose, provided United fail to win. discussing these tiny nuances of positioning, breaking down the micro details of a save, with your goalkeeper coach.
“A goalkeeper doesn’t just make a save, it’s about an optimal starting position – there’s a fine tipping point between being off your line where it’s advantageous, or being too far off your line where a keeper gets lobbed. You’re also working on technical details like your power step off the outside leg, and then it’s about making that quick decision on whether to save it with bottom hand or top hand, depending on the trajectory of the ball.
“They’re all things that, as goalkeepers, you can get the chance to discuss now every day, with footage to analyse to back it up.”
The quality of homegrown goalkeepers has been supplemented by the arrival of internationals from overseas. “The WSL is also now drawing in some of the best goalkeepers in the world,” Brown-finnis says. “And our goalkeepers are getting taller, because there is a larger pool of goalkeepers to choose from, as more and more come through.
“With that, talent ID plays a part. You’re looking at what body types are suited to the position and what skills they need. Height plays a significant part in that.”
Another factor contributing to this season’s decrease in long-range goals is the absence of the division’s two leading scorers from direct freekicks. Steph Houghton has netted the most direct free-kicks (10) since the WSL began, but has been sidelined for almost all of 2021-22 with an Achilles problem.
Former England midfielder Fara Williams, the only other WSL player with more than five, retired last summer. That has contributed to fewer than two per cent of WSL goals this season coming from direct free-kicks, the second-lowest ratio yet in the division.
The figure has been decreasing consistently since 2011. Perhaps it helps us appreciate the quality of strikes such as Green’s all the more.