Why Norway's Ball Progression Will Look Different at the Euros
Caroline Graham Hansen put in a shift at the 2019 World Cup, but her load will be lighter this summer
It is no secret that Caroline Graham Hansen is an elite dribbler. The purpose of her dribbling differs for club and country. This is due to differences in team structure and personnel.
Those who watch Barcelona will have become accustomed to seeing Hansen in a wide right position. In the 4-3-3, she stretches the field, and when she receives the ball, she has the green light to take on defenders with the dribble.
Her positioning with Barca allows her to enter the box with speed and efficiency to either take a shot herself or set up her teammates.
Her role is different with Norway. Norway sets up in a 4-4-2 and she is one of the front two. She is more central and is more likely to drop into the midfield during buildup play.
Although she will sometimes drift into a wide right area that she usually occupies with Barcelona, she has license to play on either side of the field.
While her data with Barcelona is not available to the public, a look at the Statsbomb 2019 World Cup data shows that she was a key ball progressor for Norway on the dribble.
I will also discuss how Ada Hegerberg’s return to the Norwegian national team affects the team’s ball progression as they prepare for the Euros this summer.
Carries Into the Penalty Box
Despite her deeper positioning with Norway, Hansen managed to enter the penalty box frequently during the tournament.
Hansen had 10 carries into the penalty box from carries that started outside the penalty box. She was only bested by Vivianne Miedema, and she played two less games than the Dutch forward.
Norway’s Ball Progressors at the World Cup
The chart below shows which players progressed the ball for Norway:
Hansen had the most progression into the final third with 35 actions: 29 carries and 6 passes.
Carries Into the Attacking Third
It is impressive how many of her carries started outside of and ended in the attacking third. It is even more impressive to watch it in action.
Unsurprisingly, she led the tournament in these types of carries.
Ada Hegerberg’s Return
Ada Hegerberg has returned to the Norwegian national team after a 5-year absence. While her return gives Norway a big boost heading into the Euros, there will be positive knock-on effects for Hansen as well, especially in terms of ball progression.
Even though Hansen was a ball progressing monster on the dribble at the World Cup, it’s hard to replicate that consistently (even if you are the best in the world). It’s also not a sustainable source of progression from a team perspective.
Hegerberg has the awareness to know when to drop down and create numerical advantages in the buildup, and when to stay high and present herself as an outlet.
This is key to not only progressing out of defensive areas, but also increasing the speed at which the buildup happens.
Conclusion
Hansen has the quality to do the heavy lifting of ball progression on the dribble. However, Hegerberg’s return will lighten the load and give her the opportunity to put more focus and energy in dangerous areas.