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Direct Free Kicks. Always Take Your Best Shot.

The ball was carefully placed just right of the centre of the pitch and almost 38 yards from goal. An apprehensive wall was assembled 10 yards outside of the penalty area and Barthez barked out his instructions as Roberto Carlos prepared his run up that had stretched to beyond the arc of the centre circle. Seconds later the most iconic free kick of all time had been scored in an inconsequential friendly tournament in France. Ferociously struck with the outside of his left boot, the ball swerved from a trajectory 5 yards wide of Barthez's left hand post, dipped, before slamming against the inside of the upright and burying itself in the net.

A brilliant, majestic free kick that is unlikely to be repeated, certainly Roberto Carlos never came close to emulating his own feat, often struggling to even trouble the keeper despite constant repeated efforts. And there lies the paradox surrounding direct free kicks, as Roberto Carlos demonstrated in Le Tournoi and subsequently, they provide unforgettable moments, but they much more frequently fail to produce goals.

Goal attempts from direct free kicks are relatively rare beasts. The permanent members of the EPL since 2008-09 have averaged just under 20 such events per season and those teams average just over a goal and a half a season from direct free kicks. Below I've listed the each team's scoring record in such situations since 2008, the raw figures are taken from the EPLIndex website.


Conversion Rates For Direct Free Kicks For EPL Teams, 2008-2012.

Team.	Direct Free Kicks.	Goals Scored from Kick.	Conversion Rate %.	Regressed Rate %.
Arsenal.	86	5	5.8	7.2
Aston Villa.	66	4	6.0	7.3
Blackburn.	76	5	6.6	7.4
Bolton.	84	6	7.1	7.6
Chelsea.	130	7	5.4	6.8
Everton.	71	9	12.7	9.1
Fulham.	69	6	8.7	8.0
Hull.	46	5	10.9	8.4
Liverpool.	67	5	7.5	7.7
Man City.	70	8	11.4	8.8
Man Utd.	91	10	11.0	8.8
Newcastle.	56	3	5.4	7.2
Stoke.	44	2	4.5	7.2
Sunderland.	61	8	13.1	9.1
Tottenham.	88	3	3.4	6.4
WBA.	49	6	12.2	8.7
WHU.	63	2	3.2	6.6
Wigan.	92	10	10.9	8.8
Wolves.	39	1	2.6	6.9

Before we can begin to quantify the value of direct free kicks, we need to take each team's actual performance record and use it to estimate the spread of talent with the group. Wolves have the lowest conversion rate at 2.6% and Sunderland the highest at 13.1%, but these percentages could fluctuate wildly with the addition or subtraction of one or two goals, such is the paucity of scores from relatively few attempts. The average conversion rate for all teams is just under 8% and such is the spread of conversion rates for all teams we can conclude scoring from a direct free kick is a talent, but the spread of talent is quite narrow. It's likely that the teams who have played in the EPL since 2008 would need to take upwards of 200 direct free kicks before we can begin see a separation of talent with the best having highest actual conversion rates. That's around ten seasons worth of shots.

Therefore we should be very wary about taking any of the conversion rates posted by teams at face value, even over four seasons the actual results posted by each team will be very heavily influenced by random chance. Roberto Carlos was obviously an extremely talented striker of a football, but the combination of biomechanics needed while completing the shot, the alignment of the defensive wall, the angle at which the ball struck the post and Barthez's (non) reaction time are each variables that can align or combine to produce a goal or just a marvelous failure. His Le Tournoi goal was certainly the product of skill, but randomness also played a significant role in that one attempt.

We must accept that even four years of direct free kick trials will be predominately the product of luck and will not come near to representing the true qualities of each team. Sunderland are way ahead of Wolves in recorded performance, but the true gap between their respective shooting abilities will certainly be much narrower. To get our best estimate of each side's true ability we need to add a large amount of league average conversion rates to each side's actual records.

I've done this in the final column of the table and my best estimate of the true conversion rates for EPL sides is much tighter than the actual record each has shown over the last four years. The worst sides are likely to convert direct kicks at around 7%, while the best are only a few ticks higher at 9%. We can now use these more representative figures to continue to evaluate direct free kicks.

Average conversion rates for all shots attempted in open play are well into double figures, so direct free kicks are inferior by comparison. However, once we start to compare open play shots taken from similar distance to typical direct free kicks, the picture changes. Direct free kicks must be taken from at least 18 yards from the goal line and on average they appear to originate from well into the mid twenties. Open play shots from similar areas of the field are only converted around 4% of the time. So even the poorest of EPL free kick takers will outshoot an average open play attempt from the same position. It appears that allowing a player to compose himself and a team to present their best striker of a ball as the taker more than compensates for the presence of a defensive wall.

For a team to profitably spurn the opportunity to shoot directly from a free kick they must instead be able to manufacture an open play attempt with similar chances of success. Shots taken in an arc approximately 16 yards from goal during open play have predicted conversion rates of around 7%, so a team will have to be capable of creating such a chance on average from every direct free kick they spurn to gain comparable value. In reality this won't be possible, nor would the chance be equivalent to a normal open play shot because the penalty area will be much more populated with defensive players.

Direct free kicks may be rare events where goals are infrequently scored, but given the choices, a shot is always the best course of action.

Alex Morgan's Advice For Aspiring Players

SOCCER AMERICA: When you were a kid, did you dream about becoming a pro soccer player and celebrity?

ALEX MORGAN: [Laughs] Celebrity, no. Professional soccer player, definitely. I didn’t know there were a lot of other responsibilities that come along with being a professional soccer player, but when I was 7 or 8 years old I remember writing a note to my mom that when I grow up I want to become a professional soccer player. That was my dream and I stuck to it.

SA: What helped inspire that dream?

ALEX MORGAN: When I was 9 the Women’s World Cup was going on. … Kristine Lilly is a big reason I wear No. 13 today. Mia Hamm was obviously one of the most popular players. … But I just loved the game of soccer. I played all sorts of sports growing up but soccer I was just drawn to immediately. That was the sport I had the most fun with.

SA: Is there any particular style of soccer you like watching?

ALEX MORGAN: I like Barcelona because they’re one of the most technical teams I’ve ever seen. I love the way they play one-, two-touch and they’re supporting each other so much. When they lose the ball, they really work hard to win the ball back in the first five seconds. I enjoy their style of play. It’s fun to watch them.

SA: Is there anything you remember about the coaching you got during your youth days that you think was especially important to your success?

ALEX MORGAN: I was pretty much with the same club team [Cypress FC Elite] from age 14 through when I went to college and I still keep in close contact with those coaches, because they really helped me become the player I am. Not only during practice, but they worked with me before and after training, whenever I wanted extra shooting or speed and agility work.

Not only with them, but with my dad as well. My dad bought one of the full-size nets you can build on your own, because there weren’t full-size goals for kids to shoot on where I grew up. My dad would set up the goal three times a week and I’d shoot on him for about an hour three times a week.

SA: Besides practicing your shooting so much, what else do you think contributed to you becoming such a high scorer?

ALEX MORGAN: Making the drills realistic. To play a lot. To play games. To get competition. That’s why I’m promoting the Copa Coca-Cola -- a nationwide youth tournament that gives an opportunity to teenagers play games, and registration is free.

SA: What about the pressure of being a goalscorer? Even if you have a good game, you’re mostly going to be judged on whether you scored or not.

ALEX MORGAN: Our job as forwards is to score. When you don’t for a couple games, people notice because they expect you to score. So I put a lot of pressure on myself. As a forward you take on that pressure and enjoy it or else you wouldn’t last as a forward.

SA: What advice do you have for young players striving to succeed at the higher levels?

ALEX MORGAN: I want young girls and boys to enjoy playing the game. Build friendships. Soccer really helped build my character on and off the field. Whenever I can promote playing soccer and getting out in the community and living an active lifestyle I’m for that.

SA: At this point in your career, do you still think about improving parts of your game? Do you analyze your own play?

ALEX MORGAN: I set goals for myself every month, specific things I want to work on each month. I go out by myself, or with teammates after training and do specific shooting drills, long balls, one-v-one -- whatever it is I need to work on. As a soccer player I’m always developing and continuing to improve myself. I definitely don’t think I’ve reached my potential.

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Klinsmann's message to youth coaches

Jurgen Klinsmann, head coach of the USA since July of 2011, earlier this month was re-signed for another four years and Technical Director was added to his responsibilities. That, in USSF President Sunil Gulati's words, formalized Klinsmann’s previously informal role in influencing the direction of American player development.

In a USSoccer.com interview, Klinsmann addressed youth development issues.

On the style of play he’d like to see at the younger levels, Klinsmann said:

“We would love to see a consistent style of play over time that is defined by being more proactive and more possession-oriented.

“We want more confident players who have the technical abilities to play out of the back and to play out of difficult situations and really take the game to the opponent. We would like to improve the way we play against bigger nations by facing them eye to eye and having a 50/50 share of possession. We want to signal to them that we are here to play; we’re not just sitting back and hoping for a counter break. …

“That’s a lot of work obviously, and it also requires special talent. The key to all of this is the work that we do on the grassroots level through our Academies to develop our own players. To transition to a style of play that is more proactive and more dominant is a long-term project.”

U.S. U-20 coach Tab Ramos, who has also been assisting Klinsmann with the senior team, was named U.S. Soccer Youth Technical Director in November.

“The responsibility we gave Tab Ramos is really important because he’s the connector to all topics in the youth sector,” said Klinsmann. “He’s the connector to our youth coaches, Javier Perez with the U18s, Richie Williams with the U17s, Hugo Perez with the U15s, and Tony Lepore with the U14s. It’s important that he becomes like a think tank of topics where we need improvement.

“We need to get more messages out there. He’s becoming a very important messenger of many different things that we need to get out to the players, to the parents, to the coaches. Hopefully we can intensify this relationship and use it in a very productive way.”

In the year-end address, Klinsmann encouraged youth coaches to take advantage of coaching education opportunities. The U.S. Soccer coaching schools are headed by Dave Chesler, the Director of Coaching Development.

“I think the topic of Coaching Education unfortunately is often not recognized enough,” Klinsmann said. “Dave Chesler and his team of instructors are really building the foundation for the future of knowledge in our coaching education. That foundation will benefit everyone involved in the game based on the knowledge they spread to coaches in the licensing courses. His role is priceless. It’s so important and it’s something that we have to build on more and more.

“We have to have regular get-togethers with Dave and his team in order to always question if we are giving out the right information to coaches.

“What is the best way to communicate with kids? What are the main issues coaches have to think about? What additional information can we give coaches to pass on to the kids, to the parents, and to other coaches?

“I think it’s the highest priority for every coach to get his licenses upgraded, one step at a time but as quickly as possible, because it’s the highest sign of credibility. If you do not have your coaching license you do not have credibility. If parents send their boy or their girl to school, and the teacher doesn’t have the highest teaching license, they would question the school. They would probably change schools and take action right away. It’s the same with soccer.”

Why no laps -- and other fitness & health insight

 (Q&A: John Cone)

Interview by Mike Woitalla

John Cone, who most recently served as the Portland Timbers Director of Sports Science and fitness coach, is a health and fitness consultant to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and the youth national team program, and a USSF coach educator. We asked Cone to address fitness training issues for youth players.

SOCCER AMERICA: What are the biggest mistakes youth coaches make when it comes to fitness training?

JOHN CONE: I see a number of mistakes that are fairly consistent across levels of coaching. 1) They don't make fitness specific enough to the level of players they are working with. 2) It's often not specific to the demands of the game; involving the ball or not, they ask the players to perform running that is irrelevant to what a player does in a game. 3) Fitness should not be exhaustive; a lot of coaches think that for fitness to be effective the players need to end up in a heap. 4) The coaches don't give the players enough rest between exercises; it is important to balance the intensity and duration of an exercise with recovery so the players can perform at a high level.

SA: What are the perils of your third point?

JOHN CONE: When coaches do this, two risks are being taken. First, working players too hard leads to their movement quality decreasing, this immediately results in an increased risk of injury. Second, this type of work often requires several recovery days due to the buildup of fatigue. The result is an increased chance of overuse injury over time.

SA: At what age does it make sense to have fitness training without the ball?

JOHN CONE: It's less a question of age, and more a question of the situation. In team training it seldom makes sense for the players to do activities without the ball at any age. Above the ages of approximately 13 in girls and 14 in boys, performing fitness without the ball may be important if the individual player is in an off period of training, returning from injury, or supplementing training. Even at these times, there are activities with the ball that can be used to simultaneously increase fitness and soccer-specific technical ability.

SA: Should running laps still be part of a youth soccer practice?

JOHN CONE: Absolutely not. While it is less than ideal for the players to run without the ball, this type of steady state running is the most problematic for a couple of simple reasons. 1) The lack of fluctuation in intensity does not emphasize one of the most important components of soccer-specific fitness, the ability to recover rapidly from work. 2) Because of the lack of change in intensity, the muscles are not taxed in a manner specific to soccer.

SA: How many weeks or months should youth players take off from organized soccer?

JOHN CONE: This is an important question that for me over-simplifies a larger problem. It's more important to consider the ratio of games to training, combined with the length of the season relative to their time off. Unfortunately, the youth through college schedules tend to pack a large number of games into a relatively short period of time. The result is an extremely dense schedule that leads to a relatively dramatic increase in soccer-specific work that then precipitates the need for "time off."

We really need to address a number of components because giving the players more or less time off does not adequately address the issue. At the core of this is the fact that each team's season needs to be periodized with a focus on balancing the intensity of training with the games played. Additionally, the time off from soccer needs to be appropriately planned to include periods of recovery and training, where the focus includes increasing general athleticism and soccer-specific fitness and athleticism.

SA: What advice would you give coaches of players in the earliest years of youth soccer?

JOHN CONE: Make sure the players are on the ball as often as possible, and focus specifically on challenging how well the players move. Developing the movement abilities of young players goes a long ways in developing overall athleticism and ultimately soccer-specific abilities.

SA: What advice would you give coaches of players in their teens?

JOHN CONE: Be aware of the individual differences that develop among your players as they grow and mature. For me, this is the most dynamic and therein most challenging group of players due to the constant change that accompanies growth and maturation, and the large disparity that may occur within a single team. The ability to address an individual within a team is a big challenge. This can only be done by using an effectively periodized training plan.

John Cone has a Ph.D. in kinesiology, an M.S. in Exercise Physiology and several coaching licenses, including the USSF A. He recently completed a stint as the Portland Timbers Director of Sports Science that was preceded by assistant coaching duties with the Carolina Dynamo and the Sporting Kansas City (nés Wizards). He has coached youth and college ball, and has worked with U.S. Soccer in several capacities, including as Sports Science Consultant, coach educator and U.S. Development Academy scout, since 2005. Cone also heads Fit for 90, a soccer fitness and injury prevention consulting service for players and coaches.