Connect with us

Sports

The retro kick-off tactic that is proving popular (and effective) at Euro 2024

Published

on

The retro kick-off tactic that is proving popular (and effective) at Euro 2024

It was the first act of Euro 2024, it led to Albania’s goal against Italy (the fastest in the competition’s history), and is also a tactic used regularly by the top two in the Premier League, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Back with a vengeance, it is the old-fashioned hoof up the park at kick-off.

Aimless punts may seem like a relic of a bygone age in today’s football, largely a revolving battle between one team pressing high and the other trying to find space to play through, but this more rudimentary approach is back in fashion.


Nedim Bajrami celebrates after scoring in just 23 seconds (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)

Kai Havertz got things underway on Friday by overlooking the creative supporting cast of Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan, instead playing the ball back to left-back Maximilian Mittelstadt and leading a charge towards the Scotland penalty box.

The Stuttgart defender duly played a long ball for Havertz to contest in the air. After the ball broke inside the Scotland penalty box, it took two frantic clearances to get the ball away from danger, but Germany now had controlled possession with Toni Kroos inside the attacking half and Scotland were pinned back.

Advertisement

It set the tone from the first kick, as did Albania’s diagonal to the right wing against Italy the following day. The ball floated out for a throw, but Sylvinho’s side sprinted forward to pen the Italians in their own corner. After struggling to decide on an option, Federico Dimarco attempted to reach Alessandro Bastoni inside his own penalty box with his throw, but it was cut out by Nedim Bajrami and he found the net only 23 seconds into the game.

After the first round of games in Germany, 14 of the 24 teams played long either towards the opposition penalty box or launched a diagonal into the wide channel from start-of-half kick-offs, as shown below.

Some took different routes there: England emptied the entire centre of the pitch as Jordan Pickford pushed up to play to Harry Kane; Poland had five players lined up on the far side at kick-off against the Netherlands but used it as a decoy, with Piotr Zielinski running across onto the ball and spraying it wide to the other flank and the ball then going forward; Austria attempted a sophisticated routine by playing a short combination of passes in the centre circle before trying to play the ball over the top of France.

Possession purists Italy positioned five players on the halfway line to give the impression they were going direct, with Alessandro Bastoni stopping the ball dead in front of Riccardo Calafiori as if teeing him up, but it was a disguise to force Albania to drop back and give them space to have controlled possession.

It returned the game to a more natural setup and is something Arsenal did on the few occasions last season they did not go long from David Raya, with the Spaniard putting his studs on the ball and two players dropping back late to give them the numbers to build up against a set defence.

Advertisement

It is a trend that has crept back into the game after a long time out when teams looked to implement their passing style from the very first whistle.

Aaron Briggs, who was an analyst at Manchester City before working as assistant coach at Monaco and Wolfsburg, is working as a consultant at UEFA tracking the tactical trends at Euro 2024. This is a theme he has seen re-appear.

“The kick-off is such a strange time in football as it’s the only time it’s like a rugby game with both teams either side of the ball,” he says.

“You see top teams go completely against all their principles in that one false moment.

“You usually end up back at the goalkeeper under pressure and then end up going long, which is less advantageous than going long straight from the centre circle as you can go deeper into their half.

Advertisement

“When you play the diagonal, you can challenge for a 50-50 and the knockdown, or it goes out for a throw and you then try to press onto that first ball and keep them in. It’s like rugby and kicking for territory, but the last couple of years it’s become common again.

“At coaching courses, we’ve been shown that when teams play short, they end up under stress and going long, so this is maybe how it has spread.”

Marseille did something novel in 2017-18 — the season they reached the Europa League final — by kicking the ball straight into the far corner with no forward runners to challenge for the ball.

It was like the 50-22 rule in rugby union that means if the attacking team kicks the ball from their own half and it bounces inside the 22-yard line before going out, then the kicking team is awarded the lineout rather than the opposition.

Advertisement

There is no such reward in football, but it still marks a change from the previous decade, perhaps influenced by the dominance of Spain and tiki-taka, when the ball would go back to a central midfielder and then across to a full-back, which is when play would start.

Do that now, explains one player-turned-coach, and even a team that typically plays with a low block will look to rush you as the opposition’s energy and aggression are at their highest point, plus they are going to be cohesive and in sync due to the team in possession being compressed in their own half.

It is why he and many other coaches are deeming it a pointless risk and are instead playing for territory.

There have been some examples of creativity beyond hitting and hoping. Sampdoria went through a phase of having all 10 outfielders line up across the halfway line and split into different positions, while RB Leipzig scored from a similar tactic a decade ago in the lower tiers of German football.

Two years ago, Kylian Mbappe scored for Paris Saint-Germain against Lille inside eight seconds in what was a brilliantly worked routine in which two runners caught the defence cold.

Advertisement

Defences are so used to pedestrian openings to games, with teams looking to establish possession, that there is an opportunity to take them by surprise. Dominic Solanke’s run for Bournemouth against Fulham two years ago was one such example.

Kick-offs are essentially another set-piece moment in a game like a free kick or throw-in, yet it is a unique scenario no one seemed quite sure how to handle.

Now, though, it appears even the elite teams have decided it is best not to play around in unfamiliar surroundings and have identified the benefits of going long.

Advertisement

Sports

Rory McIlroy’s monstrous lead disappears, surprise contender surges as Masters comes down to final day

Published

on

Rory McIlroy’s monstrous lead disappears, surprise contender surges as Masters comes down to final day

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

In case you thought the Masters was over after Rory McIlroy’s electrifying second round, here’s your reminder that nothing gets started in Augusta until the back nine on Sunday.

And those final nine holes are sure to be exciting after Saturday’s third-round action that saw McIlroy’s six-shot lead, the largest ever through 36 holes, completely evaporate.

New York native Cameron Young and the reigning champion McIlroy will be paired together as the final grouping of the 90th playing of the Masters, with both golfers at 11 under.

Advertisement

Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young are tied for the Masters lead going into Sunday. (Katie Goodale/Imagn Images, Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

McIlroy started his day at 12 under, but a bogey on the first combined with three birdies by Patrick Reed saw his lead shrink rapidly. When McIlroy birdied the third, and Reed bogeyed No. 4, McIlroy’s lead was back to a comfortable four. Reed eventually fell down the leaderboard, but Young shot up it.

Young, who was 4 over after his first round, began the day eight shots back of McIlroy, birdied the 16th to tie McIlroy, just seconds before McIlroy bogeyed 12 to fall to second place. He shot a 7-under 65 to jump to the top of the leaderboard, while McIlroy went 1 over with a 73. Young birdied eight holes to go along with a bogey on the par-5 15th after going water.

But McIlroy struggled on the back nine, going in the water on 11 for a double bogey, while also bogeying 12 and 18.

Rory McIlroy reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 11, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

Advertisement

HOW THE 3,267TH-RANKED AMATEUR GOLFER, A REAL ESTATE AGENT, GOT TO PLAY ALONGSIDE LEGENDS AT THE MASTERS

This tournament, though, now stretches far beyond the leaders, as there are 20 players within seven strokes, and 14 within six. McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood were the only golfers inside the top 20 entering Saturday to score over par in the third round, making Saturday’s moving day quite the preview for an electric Sunday.

Sam Burns is alone at 10 under in solo third, while Shane Lowry, who benefited from a hole-in-one, is two back. Jason Day and Justin Rose are at 8 under, with Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li at 7 under (Scheffler, too, shot a 65 after starting Saturday even for the tournament).

Other notables in the mix include Patrick Cantlay, Russell Henley, and Reed at 6 under, Collin Morikawa at 5 under, and Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka at 4 under.

Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland greets Cameron Young of the United States on the No. 18 green during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2026. (Logan Whitton/Augusta National/Getty Images)

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

After being paired together in the first two rounds, McIlroy and Young will tee off together again at 2:25 p.m. ET, as McIlroy looks to make up for lost time and become the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back green jackets.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Olympic star Quincy Wilson breaks meet record; Servite relay sets state mark at Arcadia

Published

on

Olympic star Quincy Wilson breaks meet record; Servite relay sets state mark at Arcadia

There is a new “Fab Four” in the making and they are the Friars.

Servite’s 4×100 relay clocked 39.70 seconds Saturday at the Arcadia Invitational, breaking the state record it set at the same meet last year.

Sophomores Jace Wells, Jorden Wells and Kamil Pelovello and junior Benjamin Harris left runner-up El Cerrito (40.57) and third-place Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (41.02) far behind and later claimed their best is yet to come.

“We still want to drop more times in the coming weeks,” said Harris, who joined Jaelen hunter, Robert Gardener and Jorden Wells to run the event in 40 flat last year while also setting the meet record in the 4×200. “We work on passing the baton once a week and we’ll go back to the drawing board to make it even better. The most important thing is we got the stick around safely and finished the race healthy.”

“We have great chemistry — we all get along with each other,” added Pelovello, who handled the third leg Saturday for the defending state champions. “We’ll go back to the lab to see if we can do even better but what more can you ask for?”

Advertisement

After an hour’s rest, Harris had enough energy to take first in the 100-meter dash in 10.32 seconds — one hundredth of a second faster than his runner-up time last year.

Later, Pelovello (21.14), Jorden Wells (21.14) and Jace Wells (21.25) swept the top three spots in the 200 meters. The Friars pulled out of the 4×400 relay, but by then they had established themselves as the team to beat in the Southern Section.

Rosary’s Maliyah Collins (left) breaks the tape ahead of Calabasas’ Marley Scoggins in the girls’ 4×100 relay.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Advertisement

So too did Fullerton Rosary, Servite’s sister school, in the girls’ 4×100 relay. Royals speedsters Tra’via Flournoy, Justine Wilson, junior Pfeiffer Lee and Maliyah Collins won in 44.23, breaking Long Beach Poly’s 22-year-old state record of 44.50.

“I’m in disbelief but I knew we ran something real fast,” said Collins, a sophomore who held off Marley Scoggins of Calabasas on the anchor leg. “Shout-out to Calabasas for a great race, but this is our spotlight. This is a proud moment for us and the boys.”

Rosary ran 45.57 last spring — the fourth fastest time in meet history — anchored by Wilson. On Saturday, the Royals posted the third-fastest national high school time ever.

Savoring the day’s successes was former UCLA All-American sprinter Brandon Thomas, who coaches both Servite and Rosary.

The opening relays set the stage for the most decorated runner of the meet, senior Quincy Wilson, who traveled across the country to put his talent on display.

Advertisement

Every eye in the stadium was fixed on Wilson as he knelt in the starting blocks awaiting the start of the 400 meters. When the gun sounded he accelerated from Lane 5 as if shot out of a cannon, picked up speed on every stride and circled the oval in 45.48 seconds — breaking the meet record as spectators watched in awe.

Olympian Quincy Wilson (center) cruises to victory in the 400-meter dash in a meet record 45.48 seconds.

Olympian Quincy Wilson (center) cruises to victory in the 400-meter dash in a meet record 45.48 seconds.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The senior from Bullis School in Maryland gained worldwide fame as a 16-year-old in 2024 when he became the youngest male U.S. Olympic track athlete, helping the 4×400 relay team qualify for the finals in Paris.

The crowd roared when Wilson got introduced for the one-lapper, then the star closed the show by anchoring the Bulldogs’ 4×400 relay, which won in 3:09.14, the second-fastest all-time at Arcadia.

Advertisement

Wilson broke his own national indoor 400 record with a 45.37 effort at the New Balance Nationals last month in Boston. Now 18, he has won four straight national indoor titles. As he proved Saturday, he is not too shabby outdoors, either.

While Wilson drew the most attention, the 58th edition of the nation’s premier high school track and field meet also spotlighted many of the Southland’s finest athletes.

San Jacinto Valley Academy 10th-grader Kaahliyah Lacy, a distant cousin of Florence Griffith-Joyner, won the Invitational girls 300 hurdles in 40.81 while Arkansas-bound senior Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago ran 2:05.12 to take second in the girls 800 meters, edged at the finish by Union Catholic’s Paige Sheppard.

Jurupa Valley senior AB Hernandez doubled in the girls’ triple jump (42-6) and long jump (20-3) and placed third in the high jump at 5-8. Julia Teven of Brea Olinda won with a height of 5-10.

Aliso Niguel senior Jaslene Massey, an Oregon commit who won the shot put at the Nike Indoor Nationals with a throw of 54-2.75 inches (sixth-best in U.S. high school history) and posted a national-leading discus mark of 188-7 at the Asics Irvine Invitational, won the shot put Saturday with a mark of 53-2 and also took first in the discus (182-2).

Advertisement

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior Josh Harel, the reigning state high jump champion, cleared 6-9 to win the event Saturday.

Continue Reading

Sports

Caitlin Clark’s Fever make several key offseason signings in championship pursuit

Published

on

Caitlin Clark’s Fever make several key offseason signings in championship pursuit

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Indiana Fever made a series of offseason moves Saturday to surround superstar Caitlin Clark with talent as the team looks to contend for a WNBA championship this year.

The Fever re-signed key players Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell, while adding veteran Monique Billings from the Golden State Valkyries.

The players were signed after the Fever were one game shy of reaching the WNBA Finals in 2025 while Clark missed the entire postseason with an injury.

Advertisement

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) is ushered back to the bench area by teammates after being called for a flagrant foul on Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese during the second half in Indianapolis May 17, 2025. (AJ Mast/AP)

With Clark set to return, Indiana is keeping its core together while adding veteran depth to bolster its roster ahead of the 2026 season.

The Fever have the fourth-best odds to win the WNBA title in 2026 behind the Minnesota Lynx, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.

Hull previously teased the Fever’s offseason plans and championship ambitions in an interview with Fox News Digital.

FEVER WIN FIRST PLAYOFF SERIES IN 10 YEARS DESPITE CAITLIN CLARK’S INJURY, ADVANCE TO WNBA SEMIFINALS

Advertisement

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center June 19, 2025. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)

“I think it’s because we made it where we made it last year without some of our key pieces, and with a lot of injuries, and a lot of, like, this adversity. … Our bench was longer than every other bench. We had more people in the training room getting treatment than any other team, and we still almost made it to the Finals,” Hull said.

“Tasting that and being so close and feeling like we have so much more to give, I think that just changes our mindset a little bit. And it’s not necessarily overconfident, but confident in the fact that we really do have a chance. And we should be playing like every game matters, and we’re preparing for that last one.

“I think it’s very achievable with what we’re going to be able to do with free agency.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell (0) and Caitlin Clark (22) talk during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff series against the Connecticut Sun Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (Jessica Hill/AP)

The Fever’s season ended in 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals last year.

With Clark returning from injury, their core intact and at least one new addition, Indiana is looking to finish the job.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending