‘It’ll be a big equaliser’

Why Qatar 2022 could simply be the set-piece World Cup

THE wall. The train. The celebrations after another delivery was met by a thundering forehead or a close-range rebound tap-in. England’s set-piece success at the 2018 World Cup was initially the mark of a wellprepared side, yet soon after was used as a barometer of progress: were the Three Lions really better than some of their opponents, or just better-prepared?

For many coaches those phrases are simply asking the exact same question, given the whole point of match training is to be in a state of readiness – physically, mentally, tactically, technically – to beat the upcoming opponent. That is after all, at the most base level, the idea in football: to win.

And yet, even at a domestic and club level, those who rely or thrive off dead ball scenarios still remain at times damned by faint praise, as though the need to score off a corner might somehow outweigh the benefit of actually doing so.

Across a season, or a manager’s reign, there will be an element of truth to that. But in a condensed, tightly packed schedule, would such a trait not actually be a huge positive?

One of the many marginal gains that teams and coaches look for? Could it not, at a World Cup for example, potentially be the difference between an early exit and a historic run?

In certainly was four years ago. A new record of 66 goals were scored off set plays, comprising either direct efforts or shots taken after penalties, throw-ins, free-kicks or corners.

Over 62% of those came via the latter two routes. Of the 32 nations competing, 15 netted at least half their goals via set pieces. England set a new record of nine goals for a single team from dead balls.

VAR’s introduction and the penalties it produced of course had an impact, but even so, compare all that to the previous finals: 22% of goals were set pieces in 2014, but it was 39% in 2018. Are we heading for nearly half of all goals this time around being from dead balls?

After yesterday opener between Qatar and Ecuador, where three goals (one disallowed) were scored via a set-piece, there’s every reason to expect that a large volume of teams now in Qatar will think exactly that. Consider what the World Cup 2022 lacks, compared to previous editions.

For starters, there’s the week or two break after most seasons end, time for players to rest and recoup a little. And then there’s the whole team bonding aspect. None of that has happened in Qatar 2022. Most teams have also already had to contend with losing players to late injuries.

Once the action starts, teams have one day fewer between group games than they did at Russia 2018. The only sides to get five days between two fixtures will be the hosts, along with their opening opponents Ecuador.

Reduced time between games for players to fully recover, along with the tough conditions in the host nation, inevitably means many training sessions will focus on lower-intensity drills and a focus on organisation, with preparation for restarts playing into both.

“A lot of people in international football say that with a lack of time together, it’s about nailing down defensive positions: this is where we are in open play, this is how we are on dead balls,” set-piece coach Alex Clapham told The Independent.

“International coaches will work on their defensive block and then on set pieces. England had a lot of success with that at the last World Cup and then Italy at the Euros were one of the leaders as well.

“At this World Cup, with the heat, a lot of teams will be in a low block and look to take advantage of set plays.

“That’s something the less-powerful nations will look at as a way to hurt opponents, it’ll be a big equaliser for them.”

On and off the ball, in defence and attack, teams’ set-ups at dead balls are proving ever more important on the global stage.

Senegal, Cameroon, Wales, Poland, Australia, Costa Rica – almost 20% of the nations at this World Cup qualified directly as a result of the all-important goal coming from a set piece, of one variety or another. Expect plenty more to follow in the matches ahead. – The Independent