A Worldwide Trend: Opposition-Half Kick-In with a Kicker Change

This time, I will explain the set play that Angola scored against Japan at the World Cup, where the original kicker makes a run. It is a pattern that has become hugely popular around the world.

It is extremely important not to just copy the shape of this set play, but to understand why it is effective and what it is trying to achieve.

In this article, I will carefully explain the purpose and patterns of this set play using diagrams and video.

Initial setup: chon-don

By using the same initial setup as chon-don, you make the opponent think that chon-don might be coming, which makes Pattern 2 introduced later more likely to work.

Opening: kicker change

• The kicker places the ball, then makes a vertical run.
• The shooter who had been suggesting chon-don becomes the new kicker.

At this point, the original kicker must not forget to make sure the ball is completely still on the touchline before starting the run.

Pattern 1: play it diagonally into the area

The main objective of this set play is to reduce the opponent's two-player wall to a single defender, because one of the two wall defenders will follow the kicker's vertical run.

Using the segundo

Since a direct shot from an opposition-half kick-in does not count as a goal, the idea is to get a one-touch finish from the segundo, or to force the ball off a defender and create an own goal.

Using the pivot

If the kicker's pass cannot reach the segundo, or if you have a physically strong pivot, it is effective for the segundo player to become the pivot and play into that pivot instead.

Pattern 2: vertical pass

If the opponent is slow to switch, if the wall is not alert, or if they hesitate over which defender should follow, there are times when nobody tracks the kicker's vertical run.

In that case, it is effective to play a simple vertical pass, then drive inside or cut the ball back to the segundo.

If the opponent does follow the runner, it is effective to lay the ball back again.

At that point, red 1 can receive with their back to goal as a pivot and simply lay it off, but another option is to use a shot fake and then drop it with a pisada.

Also, the set play introduced here works well not only with chon-don, but also together with the sign play explained in the next article, so make sure to try them as a pair.