In soccer, goals are the decisive factor in determining the outcome of a game. While practice often focuses on creating and finishing opportunities or denying them, many coaches and players struggle to analyze how a goal was scored beyond the last touch of the ball.
The Role of Small-Sided Games
Small-sided games, such as 4v4, are instrumental in understanding the dynamics of goal scoring. In larger formats like 11v11 or 7v7, the game can appear chaotic, making it difficult to discern the real reasons behind a goal. However, in 4v4, the reduced number of players simplifies the game, making it easier to identify and analyze key factors.
Five Fundamental Reasons for Goal Scoring
- Lack of Pressure on the Ball Handler: Goals often result from a forward breaking through for an uncontested shot or a midfielder having enough space to advance the ball.
- Inadequate Support for the Pressurizing Player: Attackers seek 1v1 opportunities, especially in the attacking third. Defenders aim to avoid these situations by maintaining enough players behind the ball.
- Loss of Ball Possession: Careless passes or lost throw-ins can lead to goal-scoring opportunities, highlighting the importance of valuing ball possession.
- Restart Situations: Set pieces offer attackers a chance to execute rehearsed plays, while defenders cannot apply direct pressure on the ball handler.
- Failure to Track Opponents: Goals often occur when opponents make late runs from deep positions, posing a significant problem for the defense.
Positional Errors and Decision Making
Three out of the five reasons for goal scoring (reasons 1, 2, and 5) relate directly to a player’s positioning—being too close, too far, or at the wrong angle to an opponent. This is often more a breakdown in the decision-making process than a failure in technique execution. Understanding poor positioning and its effects allows players to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes and avoid their own, thereby contributing more effectively to the game.
The One-Touch Goal Statistic
An important statistic to note is that over 60% of all goals are scored with only one touch. This fact should be a key consideration in coaching and practice planning, emphasizing the importance of quick and decisive actions in goal-scoring scenarios.