Creating chances with straight and diagonal passes behind the defensive line

Defending teams often prioritise defending the central space close to their goal and during this tournament, our Technical Study Group (TSG) identified that attacking teams had worked very hard on devising strategies designed to breach this space.

By using strategies to entice defenders out of their structured defensive blocks and recognizing opportunities for well-timed and rehearsed movements and forward passes, attacking teams proved very effective at breaking defensive lines in the build-up to creating goalscoring opportunities.

• When possession sequences had a reception of the ball in behind the defensive line, 22% led to an attempt at goal.

• Argentina (12%) and USA (7%) were the most proficient at converting these situations into goals.

A key area that attacking teams looked to exploit to access space in behind the defensive line was through the channel that existed between their opponent’s full-back and centre-back. The use of diagonal balls for straight runs and straight balls for diagonal runs provided a way of breaching mid- and low-block structures to create a direct route to goal.

According to TSG expert Marcin Dorna, “These line breaks were not accidental; players were moving to create the space. Forwards were timing their runs, while midfielders and defenders were clear in their roles for movements or passes that created space for forward players to receive. These patterns were prepared from game to game, and teams used different approaches that were in tune with their players’ strengths and attributes.”

When defensive teams are operating in compact, structured blocks, they can be difficult to break through with straight, forward passes to the feet of a player inside that block, as the lines of defence are designed to screen/intercept those passes. In these instances, the use of angular play can be very effective to access space that the block does not cover by using runners from within the block and passes into space.

A forward player operating level with the opponent’s defensive line can be accessible using a diagonal pass (over, through or around) directly to the space in behind. Straight runs from this position are easy to time to remain onside and can put defenders who are not already facing their own goal at a disadvantage.

In clip 2 below, we see Mexico using a diagonal pass coupled with a straight run to breach Chile’s 4-4-2 mid-block. Once they trigger Chile’s press, they play a diagonal pass out wide to the right channel to break the first line of the block. Their left-sided forward offers to receive the ball in the space between the full-back and centre-back, and is already facing towards the space in behind the defensive line, while the defenders are retreating, keeping their eyes on the ball. The receiving forward plays a first-time, short diagonal pass to the right forward, who is also making a straight run, before scoring from a central position.

In clip 3, we see another example of the diagonal pass for the straight inner-channel run, noting how the full-back’s eyes are focused on the ball, leaving him blindsided by the straight run from deep behind him.

A straight pass through gaps into the space behind the defensive line can be equally effective when attacking players make diagonal runs into the same area. Defenders can feel comfortable when there is no attacking player near them, so a straight ball can be mistakenly judged as lacking threat. When these passes in behind are coupled with diagonal runs from deeper or wider areas, the defenders can be blind to the runs or can see them very late, again conceding the advantage to the attacking player. Diagonal runs from deep are also easier to time and reduce the risk of being offside.

In clip 4 below, we see how Mexico forward Gilberto Mora (11) makes a clever diagonal run from deep, directly through the inner-channel space between Brazil’s left full-back and centre-back. Mora receives a straight ball from right wing-back (7) Alexéi Domínguez (7), who supports the attack with a diagonal run of his own before scoring from the rebound.

Clip 5 is a similar example but this time the diagonal run comes from the outer channel to the inner channel, with the straight pass played through the space that France’s left-back has been enticed out of. This is an efficient way of generating depth in attack and leads to a goal.

• Attacks that include defensive line breaks lead to more goals.

• Attacking sequences combining diagonal runs with straight passes and straight passes with diagonal runs are an effective way of breaking defensive lines without being offside.

• Sequences that target the inner-channel spaces between full-backs and centre-backs are particularly effective at blindsiding defenders and accessing dangerous spaces in front of goal.