Set plays case study: Sweden and the finalists

In this article we explore how set plays generally, and attacking corners in particular, were a key factor in the success of Women’s World Cup finalists Spain and England. We also look at the main principles of Sweden’s attack; the Scandinavians scored the most goals from set plays (and specifically from corners) during this tournament.

The finalists (Spain and England)

Set plays are almost universally seen as key to the success of winning teams, and World Cup finalists Spain and England would appear to underline this point, as they were statistically more effective in this area than other teams in the tournament. Neither team conceded even once from a set play (compared to the tournament average of 1.1 goals conceded). In addition, Spain also had the most effective defence from set pieces in the competition: only 7.1% of the corners they conceded resulted in attempts at goal, and Spain won 90% of the defensive first contacts for corners delivered directly into the penalty area.

As for corners at the other end of the pitch, Spain won 45% of first contacts from attacking corners, compared to the tournament average of 34%. As we see in the graphic below, there was a strong correlation between creating chances from attacking corners and progressing in the tournament. The teams that did not advance from the group stages created chances from 29.5% of their corners, whereas the figure for the teams eliminated in the round of 16 was 36%. For quarter-finalists it was 39.5%, for semi-finalists 41.1%, and for the finalists (England and Spain), 41.3%.

Figure 1: Spain and England created more chances from their attacking corners than other teams in the competition.

Figure 2: Spain and England were among the 12 teams that did not concede a goal from a set play during FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Figure 3: World Cup winners Spain were very effective at defending corners in this tournament.

Sweden: a case study in attacking corners

Sweden scored more goals (five) from first-phase attacking set plays in this tournament than any other side, four of them from corners. Their attempt-at-goal effeciency from first-phase corners (i.e., the percentage of corners ending in attempts on goal) was 10.9% above the tournament average, and their conversion rate of 19% was 9.3% above the average. In terms of deliveries, Sweden used 33.6% more in-swinging corners than the average, and did not deliver any out-swinging corners at all.

Figure 4: Sweden scored two more goals than any other team from set plays.

Figure 5: Sweden ranked well above the tournament averages for creating first-phase attempts at goal from corners – and for converting them into goals.

Figure 6: Out of the 32 teams, Sweden was one of the more frequent users of in-swinging corners.

Sweden strongly favoured in-swinging deliveries during FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

As we see in the clips below, Sweden had a strong presence around the goal area (also known as the six-yard box) and aimed their deliveries towards the players located there. The front-post zone was a key target area, and one where centre-back Amanda Ilestedt (13) proved to be very effective at scoring and assisting from the first contact.

As can be seen in the first clip, there are three players in the goal area before the corner is taken, with two additional players on the edge of the goal area. At the time of the first contact there are five players in the goal area, but the role of Rebecka Blomqvist (15) is particularly interesting. She starts beside the goalkeeper, but as the ball comes towards Ilestedt, Blomqvist moves to screen the goalkeeper, obscuring her view without committing a foul. The quality and accuracy of Sweden’s in-swinging deliveries from both the right and the left were a key contributory factor to their success from set plays.

Clip 1: Sweden score against South Africa from an in-swinging delivery.

Clip 2: Sweden score from a first contact at the front post following a left-footed in-swinging delivery.

Clip 3: Fridolina Rolfö scores at the back post after a front-post first contact from an in-swinging corner.

Deliveries into the goal area

92.6% of Sweden’s attacking corners were delivered directly into the goal area (six-yard box), and all four of their goals from corners in that area were scored in the first phase. If an attacking side can win the first contact on a delivery into this area and direct the ball on target, it is very difficult to defend against, not least because the goalkeeper has very little time to react.

Figure 7: Almost all of Sweden’s attacking corner deliveries were directed to the front post area.

Figure 8: Sweden had an average of 4.4 players located in the goal area at corners – more than twice as many as any other side.

As former Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer explains, “Sweden were particularly strong in terms of how they targeted the front-post area. They always had players located in the goal area and had runners coming into the area, making it very busy and congested. The quality of the deliveries was excellent, so these factors combined made it difficult for the goalkeeper to come and make contact with the ball or to claim it. Because of where the goalkeeper’s starting position has to be, an accurate delivery to the front post that results in an attempt at goal with the first contact is almost impossible to save. In-swingers that come [into] central [areas] or to the back post give the goalkeeper more time, and they [practise] step patterns to get [across] to these locations.”

Clip 4: Sweden have five players in the goal area at the time of the first contact, with two stationed there before the ball comes in and other three runners arriving.

Clip 5: Sweden have five players located in the goal area and another on the edge of it when the corner is taken.

Clip 6: Against Italy, Sweden generated an attempt at goal following a first contact in the goal area.

Clip 7: Sweden’s players frame the goal area so they can attack deliveries that go further than the front post. However, the further the ball goes, the more chance the goalkeeper has to intervene.

Runners to the front post

As we have seen, Sweden targeted the front-post area from corners, with significant numbers of players located in the goal area when the ball was played in. They also varied this tactic, for example by moving players further back and/or away from the front-post area before the kick was taken and varying how players arrived in that area to meet the incoming cross. Runners into this area can be very dangerous, especially if they get away from their markers and make clean contact with the ball.

Clip 8: Here, Sweden have three runners towards the front post.

Clip 9: Sweden crowd the goal area and move towards the front post as the ball is delivered.

Clip 10: Against Japan, Sweden’s players located in the goal area run towards the front post as the corner is delivered.

Clip 11: Sweden’s players located in and near the goal area, make a flurry of attacking runs to the front and centre of the goal as the corner is taken.

SUMMARY

The ability to score from set pieces at one end of the pitch without conceding from them at the other is often a key strength of teams that progress to the latter stages of major tournaments. To prove the point, it’s worth underlining that neither eventual winners Spain, nor runners-up England, conceded a single goal from a set play at FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™.

They were also a major threat at the other end of the pitch where, as we have seen, the combination of an accurate delivery to the front-post and a well-timed run into that area proved particularly difficult for defenders to deal with. This tournament, again, underlined the importance of set pieces in the modern game and they continue to demand and justify the time spent working on them in training.