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Blocking and GK Angle Play

Watching the Union versus the Revs on the 29th of August, there were some rumblings about Blake's positioning on the Revs game-winning goal.  While there's always enough blame to spread it around, there is an aspect of team play that goes all too often overlooked, and the failure to get that right cost the Union more than one player's actions.

As Fagundez dribbles centrally having received a flick from the throw-in (!) the center back steps up and runs with him...while you hate to see something so simple as a throw in achieve penetration to this degree, it's so far, so good for the Union:

 The CB is covering the right post of the goal, and showing the attacker toward a teammate, as well as enjoying some cover from the GK.  But he commits the cardinal sin of "over pursuing" and just as he does, Fagundez very wisely takes advantage.  Blake, as we can see in the second photo, has shifted to the left under the assumption that Marquez has covered the (defense's) right side of the goal:

 We see here in the final picture that Marquez has overrun Fagundez, and a shot even two and a half yards inside the right post is enough to beat Blake:

While "letting" an attacker shoot isn't very palatable, defenders have to understand the angles of the covering defenders, whether another outfield player, or a GK.  All credit to Fagundez for a good, quickly taken, low hard shot (a perfect storm of uh-oh for a GK under the best of circumstances) but had Marquez stayed on his left hip, that ball should clatter harmlessly off the CB's shinpads.  Clearly, Blake has opted to cover from Marquez to the left post, and as such is hopelessly out of position for the shot taken.

COVERED:

Not Covered:

Here's the film: