It has come to my attention that maybe just maybe it would be better for goalies in some situations NOT to have a defnsive wall. Call me crazy but if there was no wall for Nakamura's FK against United, Van Der Sar would have surely saved it? Surely in some situations it would be better for the goalkeeper to have a good view of a shot arriving very quickly, hence giving his reflexes more time to react. Anyone else ever noticed this? Comments?
I see where your coming from but i think a wall is essential, it covers one side of the net and limits the kick taker to more or less one side unless he curls a beauty the other side of the wall. EG if there was no wall the kick taker could just pick his spot really. However im a big fan of having a man on the line the side the wall is covering as you will get really good free kick takers (nakamura). then the keeper can solely concentrate on his side.having a man on the line though can upset things offside wise, ie too many men right in front of the keeper/net. If i were a coach id coach a defence to have one player, (say scholes for united) to be free of marking from a free kick, then when it looks like the taker is gonna run n take the free, scholes to rush back on the line the side of the wall. It would take a lot of training sessions to perfect but im sure it would be effective. bit long winded but im sure you can see where im coming from.
Alot of free-kicks just pound straight into the wall or clip off the wall and go behind. Most of those would be on target and force a save from the keeper. Also, those 3-5 players would be milling around in the pentaly area, getting in the way etc. On the flipside, it frees up more players for a counter-attack but that's a risky way to play, especially in a fast-paced league like England.
definetely walls are essential for FK's. I noe sometimes, it lookz as though a wall made it a lot harder for the keeper to save the ball, but wen u think about it; would the same shot have been played if the wall wasnt there? I good example of this woz the goal by Ronaldimho for barca against bremen last week. He knew the Bremen wall would jump so he carefully slotted it beneath the jumping wall and into the corner of the net. A smart peice of play. But if there woznt a wall, i doubt that Ronaldinho would of gone along the ground into the corner. he only did wot he did because the bremen wall,the bremen keeper and the whole bremen defence werent expecting it. If it had of been just him and the bremen keeper, i think it would of been a different story...
A wall would Make it harder for free Kickers to take because they wouldn't have the blindspot that the wall creates. but if we didn't have walls then we wouldn't see such wondergoals as nakamura's against man utd
I think the wall is more often than not part of the reason why free kick takers miss. The wall puts them off and means they have to put more effort into getting it over the wall and into the net. Without a wall it would basically be a free kick. Also I think without a wall, people could just drive the ball straight down the centre and hope for it to take a knock or something and fall into the net. The only disadvantage of having a wall is, as it has been said, the fact that it impairs the goalkeepers vision of the ball. A lot of the time goalkeepers appear to be poorly positioned when a free kick is taken, therefore conceding a lot of the time. But I suppose it's just a matter of opinion, I think a wall is a good way to defend a free kick, what other people think is up to them.
Walls basiclly limits the kicker to one side of the net unless he wants to risk trying to curl it perfecting over the wall. I think it helps a lot for the keeper but sometimes, quite rarely, they can cause a few difficulties.
Call me crazy but if there was no wall for Nakamura's FK against United, Van Der Sar would have surely saved it? QUOTE] I couldn't see the goal from where i was, but it looked as if it was just poor positioning from the keeper to his defence. RayZ,
On the topic of useless freekick walls... I still remember the time Chelsea and Liverpool were sluggin' it out for the Community Shield. John Arne Riise takes the free kick, straight at the wall... and the ball goes between Lampard and Crespo, 'cuz they both jumped in opposite directions!
Not all the time... Sometimes the work well... and if there is no wall then the taker of the freekick can just place it low into the bottom corner and the keeper has less protection..
for some players yu need walls for other its better off not to have one for example it would better off not have one against Juninho because he hits the ball hard and flat which is hard to pick up for a goalie if theres a wall in the way
If there was no wall, it would be hard to keep the 10m rule intact, they need the walls, and it's a good rule. They're not useless at all.
<div class="quote_poster">Escorcio Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Would you like the be in goal with no wall against a Roberto Carlos free kick? : )</div> yes i would.......
<div class="quote_poster">twofivefive Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">If there was no wall, it would be hard to keep the 10m rule intact, they need the walls, and it's a good rule. They're not useless at all.</div> they can be useless sometimes the keepers cant pick up the ball if theres a wall in there way
