Arsenal and Everton drew 1-1 on Sunday in a fantastic back-and-forth match between two teams high on style. Both sides passed the ball with confidence, and despite only coming away with a point, Evertons confidence will get a massive boost from having played so well at The Emirates Stadium. One of the talking points during the game was how high Arsenal were defending wide free kicks. The game commentator said it was a dangerous tactic from the Gunners, as it invited the ball to be played in behind the defenders. I disagree, for a number of reasons. 1. The goalkeeper needs space if he is to come and attack the ball. It is essential for the defenders to set a defensive line that gives the goalkeeper enough room to come and claim the ball if (when) it comes into the penalty area. It is a fine balancing act, though, and this is something that Arsenal do exceptionally well. In the 15th minute, Everton had a wide free kick. Arsenal have not yet picked up their defensive marks in this picture, but it indicates just how high they are prepared to hold their line. They are not even ten yards from the line of the ball, and when the ball is played short by Everton, they are quick to react and force the ball away from goal. Wojciech Szczesny has the entire penalty area to come and claim the ball if it is flighted into the box, which is all that he can ask for - an excellent example of a well-organized defensive line from Arsenal. 2. Defenders need to be ball-side, goal-side. By this, I mean that good defenders are always in a position where they are favourite to win the ball if it is played in behind them, and can also get a challenge in if the ball is played into the attackers feet. When defending wide free kicks, it is imperative for the defender to be ball-side, goal-side. You do this by ensuring that you are “touch-tight,” meaning that you are close enough to touch the attacker, and closer to your goal than the attacker. With a more central free kick, Arsenal still hold a very high line; they are inviting Everton to play the ball into the penalty area. But because they are ball-side, goal-side, they are favourites to win the ball when it comes into the area. The one Everton attacker that is in behind the defensive line is in an offside position, and must come back onside before the ball is kicked. At this point, the Arsenal defenders must get ball-side, goal-side, or they run the risk of being second favourite to win the ball. 3. If the defensive line is set too deep, the goalkeeper cannot react to a header or deflection. This point was perfectly exemplified in Canadas 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic in November. Canadas defensive line was set so deep, that goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld could do nothing about the first goal, scored in just the third minute of the game. Look at how deep the Canadian defensive line is (in red). When the ball is flighted to the near post, Marcel de Jong is out-jumped by Ondrej Celustka, who heads the ball past Hirschfeld. The goal could have easily been prevented had Canada held a more aggressive defensive line nearer the 18-yard line. If the ball is floated in behind the defensive line, it is a much easier play for Hirschfeld to make. Being a good defender is about assessing, prioritizing and mitigating risk. You always want to be in a position where you are favourite to win the ball if it comes into the most dangerous area - which is generally closer to your goal. But there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to your distances from the ball, when to drop in and when to hold your line. 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He was attracted by the punishing defence, the strong running game and a coaching staff he trusted. The 49ers announced Thursday that Manningham had signed a two-year deal to join the team he helped knock out in the NFC championship game two months ago in their latest offensive upgrade at wide receiver. Sam Mills Jersey . This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said.MINNEAPOLIS -- Zygi Wilf beamed in the middle of the sharp-dressed group, a gold-painted shovel in his hands, a purple Vikings hard hat on his head and star running back Adrian Peterson by his side. Finally, the work on Minnesotas polarizing and long-sought new stadium was under way. After more than a decade of planning, dealing and pleading, the $1 billion project began Tuesday with a formal groundbreaking in downtown Minneapolis. About 600 people, including local politicians, business leaders and chanting fans, were in attendance as Wilf, Peterson, Gov. Mark Dayton and many others took turns flipping dirt and smiling for photos as fireworks exploded overhead. The grinning and digging took place in the parking lot next to the Metrodome, where the Vikings have played since 1982. Their last game there is Dec. 29, and a three-month demolition of the Teflon-topped stadium will start in mid-January. After two years outdoors at the University of Minnesota, the Vikings are scheduled to inaugurate the ship-shaped, glass-encased venue in time for the 2016 season. During a set of speeches in a nearby tent, Dayton joked that he felt just like Vikings coach Leslie Frazier after the teams 23-20 overtime victory Sunday over Chicago. "I cant believe its over, and I cant believe we won," Dayton said. State lawmakers enacted a bill last year to fund the stadium with the threat, real or perceived, of the 52-year-old franchise moving to Los Angeles hovering over the often-tense process. Many of the same hard-core, costumed fans who camped out at the state capitol to help lobby for a deal were at the event Tuesday, their presence recognized by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. "Sometimes democracy includes painting faces and wearing horns," Rybak said. The public is on the hook for roughly half the cost: $498 million. The NFL and Vikings are handling the rest, with much of the teams share coming from corporate naming rights and fees on season ticketholders, known as personal seat licenses. Many lawmakers and citizens have railed against the project since it was first raised as a possibility around the turn of the century when Red McCombs owned the team. Dayton was a driving force behind the legislation, but even he publicly criticized the Vikings for the proposed PSLs. The Vikings recently pledged to increase their contribution to more than $500 million to make sure the project has all the top-end amenitiies they want, like high-definition televisions in extra-wide concourses.dddddddddddd "Whatever that took to get that done, we had to step up because our fans are what this is all about," Mark Wilf said in an interview after the event. He added: "When its actually here and you see the shovels out there beginning to dig, its exciting." Its also a nice respite from a challenging season. The Vikings have gone from a 10-6 playoff team in 2012 to a 3-8-1 mess this year. And the Wilfs, who built their fortune in a family real estate business, were ordered in September by a New Jersey court to pay $84.5 million to two former business partners the judge ruled they defrauded in a deal forged in the 1980s. So this event was a true highlight. "This is a positive, exciting and great project, and thats been our focus," Mark Wilf said. "I think as the project goes up, as people start seeing the frame go up, and the building become a reality over these next 2 1/2 years, and the jobs being created and the excitement being generated, I think its going to be something that all Minnesotans can appreciate." Mark Wilf declined to answer a question about the performance of Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman. "Were of course disappointed in our season. We didnt expect to be where we are," he said. "One of our goals was to get the stadium project built and have a great facility but our ultimate goal is to win championships and Super Bowls." Away from the festivities, a collection of conservative groups and lawmakers held a counter-event to try to keep focus on the stadiums heavy taxpayer subsidy. They described the financing as shaky, noting that a prior plan to pay for the $350 million state share through electronic gambling has fallen woefully short of projections. Lawmakers plugged the gap in a stadium account this year with a one-time diversion of tobacco taxes and for the future with a corporate tax. "Its a bad day for Minnesotans," said Republican state Sen. Roger Chamberlain. "Were talking about taxpayers paying for Zygi to walk away with hundreds of millions in his pocket if he sold the team, not to mention the increased annual profits. This is not about having football or no football, stadium or no stadium. We could have done this a better way." The stadium plan also relies on $150 million in city taxes from Minneapolis. 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