In the 2020 Women's Champions League semifinal against Wolfsburg, Jenni Hermoso and Caroline Graham Hansen put on a clinic of individual forward runs and movement based on the numbers and space around them. Their movement inspired this post where I'll look at both the movement of the individual player as well movements that rely on teammates and cues from the opposition players.
The first theme I'll talk about is the use of third man runs. Third man runs are made by a player who is not directly involved in the play to create a numerical advantage or to provide a better option to their teammates. In the 2021 Women's Champions League semifinal against Barcelona, PSG had a great buildup from the back which resulted in a cross into the box from a third man run made by the left back. The left forward's movement inside was used to both provide an option for the PSG player progressing on the dribble, and also as a cue for the left back to make the overlapping third man run.
Video taken from Women's Football Replay YouTube Channel.
While a lot of third man runs made during a game come from an overlapping outside back, it is not always the case. For Barcelona's third goal in the 2021 Women's Champions League Final, Aitana Bonmati makes a third man run into the box where she receives a pass from Alexia Putellas and scores. The Chelsea defenders became too occupied with the presence of Putellas and Jenni Hermoso in front of them, and they forgot to track Aitana's run. The pace at which Putellas makes the decision and the pass is incredible.
Video taken from Chelsea FC YouTube channel.
Caroline Graham Hansen, arguably the best forward in the world, is as dangerous without the ball as she is with the ball. She has a pattern that she follows when one of her teammates is driving forward on the dribble. She starts her run out wide and then cuts central to exploit the seam between the outside back and the center back. This forces defenders to make a choice: go wide to keep a tighter mark which leaves more space for a run in between the outside back and her center back, or remain more central to the backline which gives Hansen space to receive out wide. In the buildup to Barcelona's penalty in the Champion's League final, forward Lieke Martens picks up the ball at the halfway line. She drives at the Chelsea backline and Hansen keeps her run wide, and then cuts inside. She wins the challenge against the Chelsea defender and crosses to Jenni Hermoso who gets clipped and earns a penalty.
Video taken from Chelsea FC YouTube Channel.
Against Wolfsburg, the Wolfsburg left back takes up a neutral position; not too far wide and not too central. In that case, Hansen decided to make her signature run and cut in from a wide position to receive the ball closer to goal. She made the run with intent, and even though she slightly pauses right next to the Wolfsburg player to remain onside for the pass, the defender was unable to do anything to stop her.
Video taken from Women's Football Replay YouTube channel.
The main principle behind Hansen's runs is to drag opposing players out of the space that she wants to run into. She favors the out-to-in movement, but the in-to-out movement can be just as effective. Against Manchester United, Everton forward Claire Emslie places herself in the right back's blindside by moving slightly more central. The defender momentarily loses track of her which gives Emslie the slight advantage to get onto a pass out wide.
Video taken from ata Football.
The final movement is a combination of spatial awareness and offensive runs. The goal is to create a pressure pocket, where defenders are drawn to put pressure on a player with their back to goal, and then exploit the space that the defender left behind. The video below and a tweet from @ObsessFootball on twitter summarize it best: "Players are taught from an early age that a closed body shape is a cue to press. City will deliberately sit players in pockets attempting to attract a press with that body shape only to then quickly pop off and exploit the space they left."
Video taken from keepitonthedeck.com.
Jenni Hermoso is a player who creates and exploits these situations on a consistent basis. In the semifinal against Wolfsburg she did it twice. The first time, she initially checks to provide and option, and then fades behind the Wolfsburg midfield line. After she receives the ball, she finds Hansen through after she made an out-to-in run.
Video taken from Women's Football Replay YouTube channel.
Hermoso makes the same movement in the second half during a dead ball situation.
Video taken from Women's Football Replay channel.
The sequence of Hermoso's movement against Canada in the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup was impressive because she broke both the midfield line and the backline of Canada's 4-4-2 defensive set up in a single play.
Video taken from Teledeporte.
The ideas behind these three offensive movements are not very complicated. However, executing them and doing so at the highest level is what makes these players and teams elite.
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