Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza are located in a village where only 750 people or so live, yet that has not stopped them from taking the competition to the big teams. In the past ten years, they have spent their time exclusively either competing in the Ekstraklasa or battling for promotion back to the top tier, where in that time, ex-Poland boss Czesław Michniewicz was in charge for a while before later moving to manage Poland at the World Cup.
Interestingly, current Polish manager Michał Probierz also had a very brief stay at the club, where two days into the job, he decided to walk and has now moved on to coaching the likes of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski and Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Termalica have caught the eye this season through the constant tweaking of their set plays so far. From game to game, the starting position, movements and type of delivery have changed, and it’s clear to see that work has been done to ensure they gain an edge in this game of fine margins.
In this tactical analysis, we will look into the tactics behind Termalica’s offensive corners, with an in-depth analysis of why the corners changed each game. This set-piece analysis will examine why these routines have had some bright signs, where they could be improved, and why opponents are struggling with these changes.
Solutions to Zonal Defending
Many of Termalica’s opponents have used heavy zonal defending strategies, opting to allow the attackers to have space, but only from a farther distance from goal, where the likelihood of a shot beating the keeper significantly decreases. Termalica have displayed a variety of ways in which they have been able to combat each zonal setup successfully.
Coming up against a seven-man zonal setup, we can see that the defensive side focuses on securing the central area near the six-yard box. Two blockers are positioned around the penalty spot and aim to prevent attackers from entering the six-yard box with any sort of momentum. Any ball that lands inside the white area will then be in the defending team’s favour due to the close distances of every defender.
Termalica’s first and most straightforward solution to overcoming this defence is attacking the available space. With so many defenders protecting the nearest 12 yards to goal, there is a lack of protection in the rest of the penalty area, meaning that Termalica’s attackers have lots of space to lose a marker and attack the ball.
As seen in the example below, no defenders are tracking players in the orange zone, so it is easy for Termalica to access that area of the box. However, the headed effort is harder to finish.
While the area inside the above white zone is controlled by the defensive side, it is possible to create space inside the defending team’s zone of control. Bruk-Bet Termalica have shown this to be achievable through the use of screens.
The black circle indicates the space created just outside the six-yard box with two screens: one on the near-side zonal defender and one on the defender in the middle of the six-yard line.
Blocking off the two nearest possible defenders who will engage with the ball means that when the attacker enters the target area, he will be free to attack the ball with more time and space than what would usually be available and will likely contest for the ball unopposed.
It is interesting to note that the defender engaging in the aerial duel for the ball has a much deeper starting position near the front post. The defender’s deep position means that he can run up towards where the ball is aimed at, so that he can use his momentum to reach a bigger height when jumping for the ball.
This is commonly used by attacking sides when up against a static zonal block, but the reversal of the roles is interesting. However, it must be noted that giving the attackers added space means they will likely have even more space away from goal, and space will be too big to recover if the corner is aimed directly at the attacker rather than a cross into their path.
Against zonal defences that tilt towards the front half of the six-yard box, Termalica have used decoy runs to move the opposition. The example below shows most players from both sides at the front half of the six-yard box, where the attackers purposefully make runs away from the six-yard box. These decoy runs help to drag the defenders away from the six-yard box whilst also moving the goalkeeper away from the centre of his goal.
By moving the goalkeeper towards the near post, the cross to the back post has a higher chance of success. At the back post, the attacker has a large amount of space to compete for the aerial duel, although he is outnumbered.
The club from Nieciecza could make life easier for the target player by making each duel a 1v1 or providing the advantage for the attacker by increasing the length of the run-up towards the ball to increase the probability of him winning the aerial duel.
Each game provides different challenges for the club. Against Arka Gdynia, we can see that the team set up with nine zonal defenders, yet what was evident with the defending side is that each defender had a minimal zone they were responsible for.
In large numbers, each defender feels someone else will deal with the ball if it doesn’t go directly towards them, yet that naivety is what Termalica looked to exploit on this occasion. As seen below, there is an open area which no defender is responsible for, and with a well-timed run and accurate cross, that area can be entered and attacked very easily.
A slight alternative to the direct back post cross is to use a shorter corner to the near post before flicking it to the back post. Termalica show yet another way to break down a zonal defence, where flick-ons causing the second phase are used to disorganise the busy defence.
The attackers are already ball-side of their marker, so when they make a move towards the ball, they will almost definitely have the separation to make the first contact and flick it further.
As the ball is crossed to towards the near post, all players begin moving towards the ball inside the box. This includes the players at the back post, who move towards the ball to collect loose balls, but in turn, they leave their markers free at the back post, as seen in the image below.
One way in which Termalica have made their approach more effective has been by changing the runs of certain attackers. When aiming for the near side of the box, Termalica use three attackers, at varying distances away from goal, to make sure that one can make the first contact.
Each attacker is responsible for a horizontal panel of space, with the three attackers at three different vertical levels. That way, even if a cross is slightly mishit, someone will make the first contact. Because the location of the second contact is so close to the goal, only one or two attackers are required at the back post, so Termalica can afford to use extra numbers to ensure the first contact is made.
Use of Short Corners
Bruk-Bet Termalica have displayed cunning intelligence in adjusting their routines depending on the opposition. Facing a zonal defence and knowing that this is a team which will step up immediately to close down the ball and increase the height of the offside line, Termalica are prepared for what is to come if they make a short pass.
They can use that to their advantage, as they are prepared for the movement of the defensive line away from the goal. This movement creates space between the goalkeeper and defence, which Termalica expect, and cross the ball for first time.
The ball can easily enter the six-yard box, and with all defenders stepping up, it becomes easier for every attacker to move in the opposite direction, towards goal, and find space. As a result, this opportunity with four attackers queueing up for the ball occurs.
Against a different opponent, we can see Termalica change their approach yet again. This time, the defending team isn’t as intense in their efforts to move the defensive line up and are happy to sit and protect the box.
As a result, there is more time and space for the players outside the box, who can afford to slow down, compose themselves and pick out a pass or cross into the penalty area. With that time, they can carefully execute their actions to the best of their abilities.
The player inside the box is then able to turn and face the defender, where he has the option of taking the defender on or crossing it, with lots of attackers still in the box.
Conclusion
This tactical analysis has detailed the different ways Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza adapt their corner routines to the different opposition they are coming up against. Keeping a close eye on the weak points, Termalica are able to exploit those, and this novelty has allowed them to remain unpredictable from corners.
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