Welcome to our Eredivisie Goal of the Week series! Each week, we break down one standout goal that showcases the (near-)perfect execution of a key game action, on Instagam or our website. By highlighting the tactical details and explaining why the move was so effective, we help you gain valuable insights you can apply to your own performance on the pitch. This week: Guus Til’s goal for PSV against NEC!
Game Action: Depth running
Choice: +
Execution: Location+ Position+ Body+
Guus Til is one of the best depth runners in the Eredivisie. He scores a lot of goals because of these runs (check out this goal of the week from last season!), and he’s always looking for the best moment to make his run. Let’s break his action down.
Location: Til positions himself in the pocket of space we like to call the “Depth zone”. This is the space in between the far central defender and the far full back. Being in this zone gives you a lot of benefits if you are looking to make a depth run. First of all, it allows you to stay in the blind spot of the central defender, so he can’t see you. Next, you have a good overview of the situation, because you can see both the ball and the goal. And lastly, you’re closest to the prime scoring area: the second post zone. These three advantages combined give you amazing conditions to make a deadly run resulting in a goal. Guus Til knows that, which is why he starts his runs from this area so often.
Position: Because the space between defense and goalkeeper is not that large, Til takes up position closer to the full back than to the central defender. This way, there’s more space for the pass to be given without the central defender intercepting the ball, and he’s still closer to the goal than the full back. He also stays behind the offside line a little bit, so he can get a head start on his run.
Body: Til has his body turned vertically, so that he can see both the ball and the goal, and can start his run directly in the right direction: straight towards goal.
Moment: Guus Til waits until his teammate on the ball has the ball play-ready, and they have made eye contact.
If you want to score more goals from Depth runs, make sure to follow these rules. Take up position in the “Depth zone”, slightly off the offside line, turn your body so you can start running at any moment, wait until your teammate has the ball play-ready and makes eye contact, and start your run straight to the second post area. If the pass is good, this will give you the highest chance of scoring a goal.
Good luck applying this in your own game!