Depressing Corner Kick Fact

[rwhgeek]

As if we didn't have enough to be depressed about check out this fact. (from todays write up on the Columbus game on DC United website)

"D.C. United has attempted 59 corner kicks so far this season, more than any other team in the league. None of the 59 attempts have resulted in a goal. Columbus has had the second highest number of corner kicks at 50, and the Crew have played one more game than United."

Not one freaking goal that is just pathetic. We have been having a problem with set pieces for, hmmmmm let's see 3 years now. I am not a coach, I have never played, I drink too much when I watch the game, I drink too much when there is no game, so my opinion is next to worthless but it seems that corner kicks and set pieces in general are something that you could practice and get better at. We have already determined that we can't score during the run of play maybe we should give that up completely and focus on scoring only on corner kicks. If we scored 10% of the time that would have been 5.9 goals. That would be splendid. Despite my whining I will be there Saturday rooting for DC but I also predict we won't score on a corner kick.

[MeridianFC]

We have too many midgets on the team. Let's end the pro Oompa Lumpa policy.

[Topo]

Sadly, this statistic only seems to cover this season.

I wonder what our overall corner kick strike rate was last season. I'm guessing not too good.

[neilgrossman]

Goals come so seldom that it's not really an indication of if corners are being taken correctly.

A better measure would be whether they are dangerous. Unfortunately, statistics don't measure this.

Watching the game gives you some idea. Inswingers are much more dangerous than outswingers. If we keep taking inswingers, the goals off corners should come soon.

[JRstriker12]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
We have too many midgets on the team. Let's end the pro Oompa Lumpa policy.

True that...

If we still had Eddie I'm sure he would have gotten a head on at least one of those.

BTW- Petke's 6'2'', how far up does he get on corners? I can't seem to remember.

[isaac101]

As I was lucky enough to get a little free time, I checked out last season's match reports and collected the data on DC's corner kicks and goals from last year. Here it is:

Total Goals (2002): 31
Goals scored in Run of Play: 24
Goals scored off Free Kicks (either direct shots, passes, or rebounds): 4
Goals scored off Penalty Kicks: 1
Goals scored off Corner Kicks: 2

Corner Kicks Taken in 2002 by DC: 185
Percentage of Corner Kicks resulting in goals: Slightly more than 1 %

Last corner kick resulting in a goal: August 31, 2002 v. San Jose. Etch takes it, Pope heads it in.

The other corner kick goal came about this way: Etch takes corner, gets ball to Q1 who shoots, saved by keeper, and Nelsen kicks in the rebound.

Edit: Also wanted to point out that DC United led all of MLS in 2002 in corner kicks. Second place was Dallas with 171, followed by LA with 161. Columbus had the fewest, with 126.

[mellon002]

It also hurts not to have Q1 in there with his 6'1'' body.

[chayes]

Didn't Petke score on a rebound off a corner?

[michael greene]

No surprise we haven't scored off a corner, but I am surprised we lead the league in corners taken.

Maybe there is a positive spin that if we had a non-height challenged productive forward (the "productive" rules out Tino, BTW) it seems there are a lot of dangerous balls in the area that the defense is pressured into clearing for corners. Perhaps things can be turned around w/ a timely player addition.

I've been living in DC too long as I try to spin every piece of lousy news.

Sorry.

[imasyko]

Actually, the fact that we are getting corners is a positive offensive stat - shows we are getting pressure - though it hasn't, as yet, produced many goals.

In looking at the standings (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/mls/standings/) we have given up the second fewest goals in the league (well, tied for 2nd). The fact that the defense is keeping us in games makes me optimistic that a little offensive improvement could go a long way, and the corner kick stat only serves to make me believe that this team is not out of the running for the playoffs by a long shot. The old adage that defense wins championships is true in soccer as well.

The downside is that just as Convey was really beginning to assert himself in the midfield, providing an offensive spark we lacked early in the season, he will miss the next month with the two Cups. Though frankly, Convey's play and the corner kicks only highlights our poor play up top so far - though I'm hopeful that Esky, et al, will get their act together before long.

Another low scoring game Sat, with us getting the tying goal late, hopefully by one of our forwards.

1-1

[mellon002]

Originally posted by chayes
Didn't Petke score on a rebound off a corner?

Nah, Ben's cross came from the corner but the ball had been in play for a while.

[isaac101]

And, since I had the numbers in front of me already....I discovered a stat that will surprise no one:

Marco takes most of our corner kicks.

How much you ask?

Well, combining 2002 and 2003, Marco has taken 175 of DC United's 244 corner kicks, slightly less than 72%.

What I did find surprising is that Marco is not the highest in the league in this statistic. That distinction belongs to San Jose's Richard Mulrooney, who has taken 147 of the Quake's 204 corner kicks over the same time, slightly above 72%. The next closest player is Cobi Jones, who has taken 50% (102 of 205) of LA's corners over the same time.

Just providing numbers here....not making any judgements.......

[BudWiser]

Thanks for the great stats isaac101

Got any info on the rate at which the rest of the teams are scoring on corners?

[rwhgeek]

Damn Isaac101, you have way too much time on your hands but thanks for crunching the numbers. I second BudWiser on wanting to know what the league average is on scoring from corner kicks.

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by chayes
Didn't Petke score on a rebound off a corner?
Nope. Etch sends in a free kick 40 yards out on the left. It goes over everyone's head, but Ben tracks it down in the corner. He sends in a cross that Nelsen almost gets a head to (or just glances off it). The ball bounces off Tony's manboobs and lands right at Petke's feet.

[Jose L. Couso]

The DC United team stats can be found here:

MLSnet (http://www.mlsnet.com/statistics/tmstats.html)

2003 Corner Kicks:

Marco-36 , 61%
Convey-10 , 17%
Earnie-7 , 12%
Ben-3 , 5%
Hristo-3 , 5%

[isaac101]

Originally posted by rwhgeek
Damn Isaac101, you have way too much time on your hands but thanks for crunching the numbers. I second BudWiser on wanting to know what the league average is on scoring from corner kicks.

Yeah, that's what happens when you are researcher by profession, and have about an hour to waste. As far as the league average, well, that will take a while to come up with, especially since DC's were easy to do since we don't score many goals!!!! Maybe I'll make it my weekend project. At the very least I'll try to figure out the numbers for a few other teams as a comparison.

[DigitalTron]

These numbers are no surprise to me. I've been pissed at our inept corner performance for years now. In fact, I made a poignant question to the coaching staff at the "Meet the Team" event at the Exchange Saloon in pre-season. I prefaced it by clearly pointing out that we led the league in corner kick attempts but that we had neither a target to finish nor anything remotely resembling good service. Also, our organization and imagination were completely non-existent. I suggested that we
1) acquire a target forward,
2) bring our taller people up for corner kicks and move the shorter guys back for corners,
3) let players other than Etch--specifically Convey, Stewart, Olsen and Stoichkov--take the corners to avoid the massive delay we sometimes get from waiting for Marco to get to the corner flag,
4) use our finishers to their best ability like sending all the people in the box to the far post and having Stewart use his speed to reach the near post, and
5) teach Santino to head the ball.

My comments were greeted with noticable disdain by the fans, coaching staff and players alike. But dangit, these things were and are needed.

After the event Trask and Kovalenko spoke with me. Trask mentioned that set pieces were one reason they insisted on Petke from the Metros. I agreed with that sentiment, and he is the lone DC player to score off a corner this season. Trask also mentioned that this was much of the reason they moved Nelsen into midfield where he could add to the attack more. I also agreed with that move. But the lack of organization, precision, and a target forward has really destroyed this offense.

Part of the reason we get so many corners is that we're doing some good things offensively, but part of it also is that defenders are in no way afraid to give us a corner, because we're so inept that there is no real danger.

People around here always love to talk about Europe and the best soccer in the world, etc. If they paid any attention, they'd realize that corner kicks are one of the most dangerous plays in soccer, and those big leagues in Europe make meals off of those situations. It is almost unheard of to give a good European team 12 corners and not concede a goal. We seem to get almost that many every other game. This must change. This must start changing today. If not, Hudson and Trask might as well start looking for other employment.

-Digital

[albionroad]

Originally posted by DigitalTron
My comments were greeted with noticable disdain by the fans, coaching staff and players alike. But dangit, these things were and are needed.I was there that night and I didn't notice any disdain from the rest of the fans. I think most of us agree with you and I, at least, was glad you asked it. Maybe there was a bit of a surprise that you asked such a pointed and critical question when most of the questions asked were more of the friendly, feel good variety. I certainly noticed Trask trying to deflect the question though!

[Justin O]

According to one of the EPL announcers, near the end of the season Man U still hadn't scored on a corner kick. So assuming that's true it might not be that bad a thing.