Targeting the front post against player-to-player marking systems - FIFA Training Centre

Cameroon were not the only side to target the front post from corner kicks. Korea Republic employed a similar strategy against player-to-player-based defensive systems, and they did so to great effect; they averaged 3.2 attempts on goal from corners per 90 minutes, the most of any side at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

The graphics below show the starting positions Korea Republic adopted on the edge of the penalty area against player-to-player markers. The Koreans were especially keen to get into the front post area ahead of the defenders because this disrupted any attempt by the opposition to block off that zone.

Korea Republic targeted their deliveries towards the front-post area with the aim of flicking the ball on.

Attack with 5-6 players
Win lots of flick-ons from the near side of the 6-yard box.
Get in front of the first defender
Attack the space behind the flick-on to win the ball.
This led to the goal against Portugal that got them through to the second round.

Korea Republic’s starting positions against Ghana, and the area where they aimed to win first contact.

The clips below provide three examples of how Korea Republic used this routine at the World Cup. The first clip comes from their match against Ghana, and it is striking to note how the target player breaks away and staggers his run in an attempt to lose his marker and arrive in the target area at exactly the right time. He gets into this area ahead of the nearest zonal defender, wins the ball and flicks it towards goal. Meanwhile, his team-mates make runs right across the width of the goal, hoping to pounce on a flick-on, win a rebound, or pick up the second ball.

The second clip shows a variation of the same idea from the Asian side’s final group game against Portugal. Korea Republic (who were 1-0 down at the time) initially played short before delivering the ball to the front-post area, where it was flicked-on by Cho Guesung (9). His header was saved by Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, but defender Kim Jinsu (3) scored from the rebound. Unfortunately for him, his team-mates had mistimed their runs by a fraction and the Portuguese defence had stepped up, which meant the goal was disallowed for offside.

However, Korea Republic were not be denied, and the final video shows the goal that levelled the scores after 27 minutes. Again, Portugal set up a zonal defence, but this time the Koreans opted for a first-time delivery straight to the front-post area. They failed to make first contact with the delivery, but the ball still dropped into the centre of the goal area, where it was rifled into the net by Kim Younggwon (19). This crucial goal got Korea Republic back into the tournament, and they went on to score an injury-time winner to progress to the knockout phase at the expense of Uruguay.

Clip 1: Korea Republic target the front-post area against Ghana, securing the first contact and flicking the ball goalwards.

Clip 2: Here Korea Republic vary their routine by playing short before targeting the front-post area against Portugal’s zonal set-up.

Clip 3: Korea Republic score a crucial goal against Portugal, looking to win the first ball at the front post and flick the ball on to runners framing the goal.