Sarpsborg 08 2023: Scrutinising their six-yard box suffocation strategy – set-piece analysis

Sarpsborg 08 have a new and conflicting history. The Norwegian city has been home to multiple struggling clubs in years before 2008. However, after rivalries were ended and all the clubs united to form one stronger team, Sarpsborg has been able to strengthen year by year.

The progress saw them reach Norways top flight, Eliteserien, in 2017 and become a regular in the division. Their steep rise even saw them reach the UEFA Europa League in their first season in the top flight, where they faced Besiktas, Malmo, and Genk before being eliminated.

Stefan Billborns side has stood out this season for their intriguing corner routines. Three months into the season, after 14 league games and numerous cup games, I have decided to watch all 130 corners they have taken this season, specifically the most recent 107, after adopting this new strategy, and analyse whether Sarpsborgs corner strategy is effective or not.

In this tactical analysis, we will look into the tactics behind Sarpsborg 08s corner routines, with an in-depth analysis of how their strategy of crowding the six-yard box has been successful. This set-piece analysis will examine why this method has been particularly effective and how Sarpsborg can build on a solid base to develop their unique approach further.

Six-Yard Box Suffocation

To begin the season, Sarspborgs starting positions were spread out around the box, and players would attack the ball from different directions. However, after a clear preference to target the six-yard box and an unsuccessful original routine where players failed to make the first contact, Sarpsborg had to amend their routine.

To make life easier for each attacker, they altered the starting positions, placing each attacking member of the team inside the six-yard box, where the ball would come to them, rather than attackers meeting the cross along its path. By crowding the six-yard box, Sarpsborg found instant success for various reasons.

Firstly, their ability to position their attackers by the back post helped to increase the likelihood of making the first contact. Having players situated by the back post makes it more challenging for defenders to track both the ball and the attacker. As the cross is delivered, defenders begin to track the flight of the ball, which provides the Sarpsborg attacker in the image below to create some separation from his marker, which allows him to attack the cross unopposed.

Attacking the ball without anyone interrupting the approach to the ball means that the attacker can time the jump and run up, to meet the ball at the optimal position, increasing the likelihood of winning the aerial duel. This is already an instant upgrade on their previous methods; by increasing the number of times a Sarpsborg player meets the cross, the rate of shots from corners shot up.

Furthermore, crowding the six-yard box enabled Sarpsborg to regularly create overloads in dangerous positions. In the early stages of this routine, opposition teams werent able to prepare well, and so there were occasions where a player at the back post could lurk unmarked. This provided the perfect opportunity for a player to have a free shot on goal from within six yards, which Sarpsborg capitalised on in this example below.

A key benefit of positioning pla