There is one sure way to win a soccer match, and this holds true regardless of anything else that can possibly occur in a game. If you score more goals than your opponents, you will win. It doesn’t matter if you concede five goals, receive multiple red cards or anything else that would be considered ‘negative’ for your chances of winning. And that’s because it’s the final outcome in terms of goals scored that determines the winners in soccer, as I’m sure you are fully aware.
With that in mind, have you ever heard someone describe a ‘clean sheet’ in soccer? On the surface, it might look like this term has no immediate connection to the world of soccer. Yet like any key terminology in a given sport, once you understand what it means, the underlying reasons for it being described this way then become clear. So – what is a clean sheet in soccer?
Let me dive into a complete explanation right now.
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The meaning of ‘clean sheet’ in soccer
Clean sheet – not exactly an obvious connection to soccer, is it? After all, what could a clean sheet possibly have to do with goals scored and potential match outcomes? Well, the key to understanding this is to not get overly wrapped up in the terms used. Don’t try to decipher the connection; simply learn its meaning. On that note, I can tell you that a clean sheet in soccer describes a situation in which any given team has managed to complete the match without conceding a single goal.
For example, if Manchester City beat Arsenal 5-0, we would say that Manchester City kept a ‘clean sheet’ in this match. In fact, this is the one and only thing that a clean sheet refers to in soccer. So any time a team finishes a match and their opponents have a ‘0’ next to their names, meaning zero goals scored, you know a clean sheet has been achieved!
Of course, if the match ends 0-0, both teams have managed to keep a clean sheet, although they haven’t won the game either.
The benefits of keeping a clean sheet in soccer
You may think that the benefits of keeping a clean sheet in soccer are obvious, but I don’t want to leave things open to assumptions or incorrect interpretations. So with that in mind, let me get to the absolute specifics of the reasons why it is so beneficial to keep a clean sheet in soccer.
It reduces the number of goals needed to win a game
If you stop to contemplate the first of several benefits, this makes total sense. In short, if you are able to keep a clean sheet, all you need to do is score one goal to win a soccer match. And if you have a set of promising forwards in your team, the chances of scoring at least one goal should be fairly high. However, if you concede three or four goals in a game, the pressure to do the same at the other end becomes enormous.
It stimulates confidence among the defensive ranks
As you now know, maintaining a clean sheet can seriously improve the chances of your team landing a win over the opposition. But it’s not just the immediate outcome that serves as a key benefit. It’s also the psychological impact that keeping a clean sheet has on the team as a whole, the defenders, and the goalkeeper. If you aren’t conceding goals, the growth in confidence at the back of the park will become exponential.
It can impact the outcome of competitions that go down to ‘goal difference’
Yes, keeping a clean sheet influences the potential outcome of any given soccer game. But you know this already from the information shared above. So adding to that, there is something else you need to know concerning the wider benefits of keeping a clean sheet in soccer. Specifically, there are many competitions that come down to ‘goal difference’ when deciding which team progresses to the next round.
And long story short – the fewer goals you concede in competitions that operate with the use of such rules, the better your chances are for moving forward in that event.
How to keep a clean sheet in soccer
Okay – there is no exact remedy to guarantee a clean sheet in soccer, and I’m not pretending that I am a professional soccer coach. However, as a long-term fan of the sport with an understanding of team tactics and various plays, I like to think that I know how a team can improve their chances of scoring a clean sheet. So to get right to the point, here are the essential ingredients to achieve such an outcome:
- High possession percentages
- Structure at the back
- Strong defensive communication
- A talented goalkeeper
- Avoidance of sloppy challenges at the back
- Calculated build-up play
Of course, I understand that different teams, managers, and individuals have different approaches to keeping clean sheets in soccer. Yet in a general sense, the factors shown above will serve any team very well if trying to achieve this objective.
