Goalkeepers as the key to counter-attacks after defending a corner kick

Volkan Ünlü, who coached FC Schalke 04’s U-19 goalkeepers for many years and is now the first-team goalkeeper coach, believes that corners are ripe with potential for counter-attacks and that they are predictable enough to be treated as a set piece in their own right. Goalkeepers have an instrumental role to play: after claiming the cross, they can immediately initiate a dangerous break.

Defending at corner kicks has become significantly more complex. Teams now work with numerous variations, runs and decoy ploys to throw the opposing defence off balance, turning a situation that was once relatively static into a high-speed tactical scenario. Similar to the approach taken by the attacking team, clearly defined strategies are now systematically applied by the defending side at set pieces. Many of these defensive strategies concentrate almost exclusively on the organisation of outfield players – zonal marking, player-to-player marking, or combinations of those forms – and leave the goalkeeper as a passive figure.

As a goalkeeping coach and set-piece expert, Ünlü believes that it is time to forge a new identity for the goalkeeper – especially at corner kicks – to take the concept of defending to a new level. Increased responsibility rests with goalkeepers as teams sacrifice evermore defensive cover in order to crowd the penalty area with more attacking players. Keepers are often the only players with an unobstructed view of on-pitch events, allowing them to act and react.

Corner intercepted – now what?
The ability of goalkeepers to confidently claim a corner or any other cross is one of the most important aspects of modern football, especially since this normally secures possession for their own team. However, the goalkeeper’s role at the back involves far more than just the defensive component. They have a decisive influence on build-up play and can significantly accelerate the transition between defensive and attacking phases. As counter-attacks and fast transitions are becoming increasingly important, intercepting a cross can be the springboard for launching a counter-attack.

An intercepted corner represents a situation that is predictable enough to be viewed as a set piece itself. In open play, losing possession can lead to immediate counter-pressing, but claiming the ball from a corner presents the goalkeeper with a unique chance to launch a clinical and methodical counter-attack. The goalkeeper goes from stopper to initiator in a heartbeat.

Incorporating counter-attacks into the defensive approach
These actions are extremely valuable elements of modern defensive strategies. They provide the opportunity to turn the game around and seize the initiative back from the opposing team while they are still out of position. A counter-attack of this type is more than a spontaneous reaction – it is a calculated component of the defensive approach, based on swift transitions, precise passes and tactical intelligence.

The right runs
A counter-attack demands more than just speed: it also requires tactical intelligence and team coordination. Sound organisation and dovetailing are vital, and the players involved must make clever, tactical runs. The ball carriers play a crucial part. Similar to running backs in American football, their role is to travel quickly and calmly up the pitch with the ball. The counter-attacking and link-up players are just as important, as they help to drive the attack forward and destabilise the other team’s defensive unit. Nonetheless, it is essential to continually consider situational factors, such as where the pockets of space are or whether the defence shift across, when planning and executing counter-attacks.

First wave – the striker as a reference point
The striker normally represents the first wave. This player takes up a position further forward, focusing less on working with the ball and more on creating space. Strikers are often isolated against two defenders, restricting the space available to display ball skills, but they can run in behind and diagonally to force their opponents back. This creates space for the players advancing behind. Forward passes are often played high and are difficult to control, making them less useful for engineering a rapid counter-attack.

Second wave – deeper-lying players in the half-space/on the wing
The second wave consists of deeper-lying players (usually two or three), who immediately move into the half-space or out wide when the goalkeeper claims the ball. Their objective is to spread the game out quickly and pick up speed. Their positioning forces the opposition’s covering defenders to look to the wings, creating valuable space in the centre for the players pushing on. The first pass after gaining possession is often a precise, long throw from the goalkeeper into the open space, ideally allowing the recipient to take the ball in their stride.

Third wave – the central players
The players in the third wave are the ultimate target for the counter-attack. They initially take up a deeper-lying position before making an explosive burst into the central space. As the defence is occupied by the first wave, and the second wave has spread out across the pitch, there is an opening in the centre for the third-wave players to exploit. While this is the best outcome, it is also the most difficult to achieve.

The goalkeeping coach can be crucial in integrating goalkeeper-initiated counter-attacks from corners into a team’s defensive strategy. This does not just focus on traditional goalkeeping tasks, but also includes positioning the goalkeeper as the key figure when organising the defence. This demands a comprehensive understanding of the tactical requirements and the development of specific exercises to prepare the goalkeeper and the team for these scenarios:

• Rolling and throwing the ball under pressure: exercises in which the goalkeeper accurately puts the ball into play.

• Swift decision-making: scenarios in which the goalkeeper has to decide whether to catch or parry the ball, and how to use it subsequently for a counter-attack.

• Fast build-up play: drills requiring the goalkeeper to practise throwing the ball directly to a team-mate to quickly exploit space and surprise the opposing team.

The goalkeeper’s situational awareness is another important factor. The goalkeeping coach should foster footballing intelligence by teaching the goalkeeper how to observe the opposition and to look out for any defensive weaknesses – for example, if they are out of position following corners and whether this is an opportunity for a rapid attack.

Training for counter-attacking from a corner should include technical and tactical elements, covering both the goalkeeper and outfield players, and be divided into two parts:

1. Individual goalkeeper training
The goalkeeping coach can work with specific exercises in which the goalkeeper practises how to quickly claim a cross and transition directly into a counter-attack. These exercises should include technical skills, like rolling and throwing the ball, and tactical aspects such as decision-making.

2. Team exercises
Counter-attacking training should include the whole team, by simulating intercepted corner kicks. The goalkeeping coach should work closely with the outfield players to help them understand how they can best receive the ball from the goalkeeper, the runs they need to make and how they can effectively bypass the opposition.

In the coming weeks, the FIFA Training Centre will release two sessions from Ünlü’s goalkeeper training with Schalke’s youth academy, highlighting how goalkeepers can prepare for their role in launching counter-attacks after dealing with corner kicks.