Ever since Marsch took over, set pieces have been a vital part of the puzzle, and over the past year, that’s been under the guidance of set-piece specialist coach Nicolas Gagnon.
Yet, with the World Cup approaching, Canada had become predictable. That changed against Ireland, as they hinted at a diversified arsenal of set-piece routines involving advanced attacking triggers, half-steps and fake signals designed to catch opponents off guard.
Early on, a Canada set piece saw left back Richie Laryea make a quick layoff to winger Liam Millar rather than send a looping ball into the box, while Cyle Larin made a quick run to the near post.
Later, Stephen Eustáquio opted to forgo an aerial ball in favor of setting up a long-range effort from Ismaël Koné, who has scored from distance for Sassuolo but seldom shoots from outside the box for Canada. While it didn’t come off, Ireland were completely unprepared and also caught by Eustáquio’s arm signal, which is often used to indicate one of the posts.
Canada’s opening goal against the Boys in Green came from an Eustáquio corner as well, with his delivery a faster, more driven ball into the danger area rather than one aimed at a target man in the goalmouth. Anytime a ball drops into the six-yard box beyond the goalkeeper’s reach, it is likely to create danger, something Canada had not consistently done before.
“We scored on a set-piece, which was good, but I think we could still be more dangerous, and obviously we kind of conceded a chance today on the long throw, so I think we can be better in that defense as well,” De Fougerolles said after the Ireland draw. “I think overall it’s a work in progress, and we’re getting better with it each day.”
While the Ireland match offered hints of an adjusted plan, there’s potential for more to be in the arsenal, too. Canada, like most teams, only allows media to watch the first 15 minutes of training, but Sunday’s session was completely closed after previously being open because of a test match against USL League One champion Vermont Green.
Leave a Reply