Work rate, space interpretation and calculated risk-taking: Breaking down Janine Beckie's importance to this CanWNT/CanXNT side
After a standout Arnold Clark Cup for the CanWNT/CanXNT, I dive into the play of Janine Beckie from that tournament, breaking down the film from her best performance in the ACC, coming vs England.
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Over the last few years, there haven’t been many who have been better and more consistent for the CanWNT/CanXNT than Janine Beckie.
Often a forgotten piece on this Canadian side, she has found a way to show up time and time again in big moments for this team, playing a big role in a lot of their successes over the years, such as their bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, or gold medal from the 2020 (2021) edition of that tournament.
That shows in the stats, as despite making her debut just 7 years ago back in 2015, she’s already tied for the 4th-leading scorer in this program’s history, and is also tied for the most goals on this team over that span with the legendary Christine Sinclair, which is quite impressive.
But beyond the offensive contributions, it’s the little things that Beckie brings to the table that has really endeared her to her teammates and Canadian fans. A tireless runner, she is very often involved on the defensive side of the game for her team, putting in a shift on both sides of the ball.
Plus, despite having had a pretty good goalscoring record for Canada in her ~7 years with the team, she loves to set up her teammates for chances and goals, just another sign of what she brings to this side.
And that was on full display in their latest camp, when Canada took on England, Germany and Spain as part of the ‘Arnold Clark Cup’, a friendly invitational tournament located in the UK.
There, even though she’d been struggling for any sort of game time with her club, Manchester City, heading into the tournament, she came out strong for her country in it, putting in a massive shift in all 3 games, all while factoring in on both of Canada’s goals in that competition.
Despite having every reason to look out of form, or be distracted, she put all of that aside and got to work, and that showed with her performances, of which she reminded people that no matter her club situation, she will get stuck in for her country.
That’s huge, especially as this Canadian team navigates the upcoming World Cup cycle, where the pressure to do well has only ramped up after their Olympic success. Still just 27 years of age, Beckie will be expected to play a big role in that push, and for good reason, as she continues to improve and progress as a player.
Seeing all of that, this is a good opportunity to dive into what makes Beckie such a key part of this Canadian team, using some clips from her best game of this Arnold Clark Cup tournament, the opening game against England, as examples. Knowing that we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in a Canadian shirt going forward, this should give a better look at why she’s become a big part of this team.
So with that in mind, let’s dive in.
Defensive work rate a huge asset:
To start, it only feels right to begin with the defensive side of Beckie’s game, because while it isn’t necessarily talked about as much as her offence, it’s equally as important.
There’s a reason why despite being one of the better wingers in England the past few years, she’s also put in some shifts at full back, as she has the defensive acumen to play that role.
And when watching back the tape from this England match, that much is clear.
She might not always make the key defensive intervention (which to be fair, is often hard to do as an attacking player), but she does a good job of consistently applying pressure from the front, while also tracking back if needed.
There’s a reason why in the FAWSL last season, where she was a key part of a solid Manchester City side, she was in the 80th percentile among wingers and attacking midfielders in successful pressures and 97th percentile in % of successful pressures, showing her ability to press opponents.
With a combination of her speed and her ability to make good reads defensively, it makes it tough for teams to play through the pressure that she brings, which has the added bonus of helping her teammates recover and get set off the ball.
To get an idea of what that looks like, here’s a clip from that England game, as an example.
There, despite not winning back the ball, thanks to Beckie’s pressure, she was able to push England into play a little faster than anticipated, cornering them on one side, all while allowing Canada to get set.
It’s a small thing, yes, but had she been slow to pressure her opponents, they might’ve had time to switch play or attack Canada before they were fully set, which are a lot more dangerous options than what actually transpired.
And there are many examples of that. I won’t dive into all of them, as they’re a lot of the same principles that we see in that clip, but it makes such a big difference for a team defensively, especially for Canada, who is so lethal when they’ve got that time to set up in their defensive shape.
So even if she won’t win the ball on every tackle attempt she makes, such as the one in this next clip, look at how that pressure she applied allows her team to funnel England into one of the positions where they want to contest their opponents, allowing them to win back the ball.
Plus, as seen in the next clip, that pressure does pay off sometimes, such as in this situation, where Beckie was able to make an intervention, even if it then bounced off her and out of play.
There, with that pressure, she was able to stop England from making what could’ve been a dangerous pass, which could’ve potentially allowed them to fashion together a solid attack.
But beyond that pressure, as mentioned above, another thing that Beckie does well on the defensive side of things is to track back, often finding a way to get behind the ball.
That can be key, because while Canada typically defends in a 4-3-1-2, with Beckie part of the 2, if a team breaks through the first 3 players, they can shift into a sort of 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 to get numbers behind the ball.
Because of that, it’s not an uncommon sight to see what Beckie does in this clip below, which is to run back and make up the numbers to help them maintain that solitidiy. In fact, we often see it either if Canada gets caught out high up the pitch, as they do here.
Or if they need some reinforcement a bit deeper, as she helps provide Canada with here in this next clip, with England only playing through her and Jessie Fleming’s pressure in this instance due to a timely nutmeg.
But for all of the running that Beckie does on and off the ball, another key attribute of hers is her ability to defend 1v1, which helps explain why she’s been tasked to play right back for club and country, showing the trust that various coaches such as Canada’s Bev Priestman or Manchester City’s Gareth Taylor have in her ability to defend dangerous threats.
Take this clip, as an example, where despite being faced off with the dangerous Lauren Hemp (who she plays with at Manchester City), Beckie was able to just get a foot in for a good tackle, stopping Hemp before anything dangerous happened.
It might not have looked like a memorable tackle when first watching the game, but when watching it back, you can only wonder what would’ve happened if Beckie didn’t get into gear to make that intervention, especially knowing Hemp’s ability.
But that just shows what Beckie can bring to the table beyond her offensive ability, which is why Priestman trusts her in big games for Canada, knowing that she’ll put in a shift without the ball, helping her team defend.
The importance of holding possession and finding space:
At the same time, while Beckie’s defensive play is very important, and a big part of how she plays, she’s a winger for a reason, as she does a lot of her best work offensively.
But seeing that, it leads to a question - what kind of winger is Beckie?
Is she one that likes to hug the touchline, providing width for her team and sending in crosses? Or is she one that likes to play inverted, trying to find the pockets between the full backs, centre backs and midfielders?
And interestingly, the answer seems to be a bit of both, as while she is dangerous in those central pockets, she is also good at getting wide and whipping in a cross.
Which for a winger, isn’t bad at all, as having that sort of skillset can make it hard for defenders to track her, not knowing where she’ll pop up.
So when you look back at this England game, you can really see that, as she would often pop up in different areas on the pitch, trying to get involved in Canada’s offence in various ways.
From there, as long as she found space, that’s where things would get fun, as you’ll see.
For example, how about this instance where Beckie did well to stretch out wide, where she then got the ball and played a dangerous pass to an onrushing Deanne Rose in a good position?
The attack just ended up fizzling out, as England did well to get numbers behind the ball, but it almost led to something, all starting off the foot of Beckie.
But that’s not the only instance where Beckie was able to make things happen in those wide areas.
Continuing on that vein, how about this clip of her doing well to get wide and play an early ball, before recovering to provide width once the receiver of that original ball, Fleming, had no other options to play with?
Much like with the earlier clip, Canada didn’t end up doing much with that attack, so it ended up being a bit forgotten, but that gives an idea of what Beckie’s traditional winger attributes, as she did well to first kickstart the attack from out wide, before making a nice off-ball run to create space for her teammate.
And speaking of making space for her teammates, that’s another attribute that Beckie does so well, making it worth highlighting next. Of course, as an attacker, creating space is a key attribute, but it’s a lot of work to do, as it can involve a lot of off-ball running.
But much like she does defensively, where she covers a lot of ground, Beckie has no problem making those tough runs offensively, doing her best to stretch out opposing defences.
Take this next clip as an example.
Here, Jayde Riviere’s pass to Beckie is just picked off, but Beckie did so well to quickly spring into action and push England’s backline back, which could’ve made things dangerous had she received the pass.
And those runs are key.
Even if Beckie might not always even get the ball in that situation, just the fact that she pushed back the opposing backline is important, as that created space for her other teammates to operate in.
Those runs aren’t always fun, which is why some players don’t always make them, but Beckie is no stranger to them, and that clip was just an example.
But beyond those clips of Beckie making things happen in more of a traditional role, it’s worth also looking at that other side of her offensive game, where she likes to really operate in the pockets, acting more as an attacking midfielder.
And there, she often seems to come alive, as she does a good job of making things happen in those situations, be it to help retain possession, or help get her team into a dangerous area offensively.
So to start, here’s a look at a few clips of the former, helping her team keep possession in key moments, instead of risking a turnover just to try and take on her defender.
First, there’s this example, where after receiving the ball in more of a central area, she did well to shield off her defenders before playing a ball to Riviere, helping Canada keep possession and look for a better option.
Secondly, there’s this next example, where again, much like in the clip above, she does a good job of just playing a simple pass backwards to Julia Grosso, who was then able to switch play.
And then lastly, we’ve got this third example, where Beckie did well to get the ball back to Riviere after a throw-in, allowing Canada to switch play once again.
In each of those clips, it’s not as if Beckie did anything groundbreaking, per se, but by keeping possession in those situations, Canada was able to then find even better options, instead of risking giving away the ball if Beckie then tried to take someone on.
Of course, as a winger, it’s important to want to take players on, which is something that many of the best are so good at, but the difference between a good and great winger is the ability to know when to make a safe pass and when to take someone on or play a risky ball, instead of leaning more towards one side.
Beckie does a good job of striking that balance, though, and that was seen in this game.
Just take a look at these next few clips, which take a look at more of what she likes to do offensively, but from more of the risk-taking side of her game.
First, take this clip, where despite receiving a bouncing ball in a dangerous area, Beckie was able to pull out a cheeky sombrero and beat her opponent, keeping the ball by winning a throw-in.
Secondly, we’ve then got this next clip, where after receiving the ball in the middle, Beckie does well to play a nice one-two with Grosso before playing Riviere into space, showing an intent to drive forward in order to help create a good Canadian chance.
Thirdly, we’ve got this nice bit of patience from Beckie, who does well to hold onto the ball just long enough to send Riviere into space, almost creating a dangerous attack.
Fourthly, we’ve then got this clip, where after receiving the ball out wide, Beckie does so well to unlock Fleming with a fantastic progressive pass on her left foot, nearly jumpstarting a good transition moment.
And then lastly, we’ve got a final example of all that, as Beckie did well to take on her defender before playing back a nice ball, one that got Canada into a good position at the end of the box even though they didn’t make the most of it.
Again, in each of those clips, things didn’t always work out for Canada, but in each instance, Beckie did well to try and create things, showing her willingness to want to drive forward and take some risks, be it with a dribble or a pass.
But what was key was that she did so while striking a good balance, also knowing when to recycle and slow things down (as we saw before that), allowing her team to find a new attacking angle, or to grab a breather.
And it was that balance that ultimately paved the way for her biggest offensive moment of the game, which came in the 54th minute.
There, she did well to take a pass in a dangerous area, and then saw the opportunity to take a risk, where she decided to cut inside on her left foot and unleash a shot.
From there, the rest was history.
A special goal at the time, it becomes even more memorable when you realize that it was coming when you watched back the footage, especially given the smart decisions that she was making leading up to that moment.
As seen when she was given flashes of space earlier, she had a desire to push play forward, and when given that opportunity in an area like that one, she found a way to make the most of it.
But that’s the best way to describe Beckie’s play offensively. She’ll play safe if needed, knowing the importance of keeping possession, but she also has that risk-taker element in her game, ready to be unleashed at the right moments.
And that’s why she’s scored as many goals for Canada as she has, as she tends to know when to bring it out, with that goal just being a prime example of that.
Set-piece delivery is key:
Otherwise, one last thing to note with Beckie’s game is that she’s been tasked with set-piece delivery on this team, which is a big role given that Canada’s really trying to make that a bigger part of their game these days.
Be it on corners or on wide free kicks, Beckie often stepped up whenever there was a chance to whip in a ball this camp, which was quite interesting to see.
And to be fair to her, she did pretty well with that opportunity, especially considering that she picked up an assist off a corner to Vanessa Gilles in the Germany game, and almost grabbed another when she delivered a key pass on a Jordyn Huitema crossbar hit against Spain.
So while she didn’t necessarily have a memorable moment like either of those against England, the fact that she was taking every set-piece shows that those moments were coming.
Especially when you look back at some of the set-pieces she delivered in this game.
For example, how about this dangerous outswinging corner that nearly led to a Kadeisha Buchanan goal?
Or how about this dangerous cross from a wide free-kick that was just begging for someone to get a head on it?
If not, how about this last corner, that got into a dangerous area, but unfortunately one where no red shirts could be found?
It might not seem like much, especially given that Canada didn’t have a shot to show for each of those deliveries, but seeing the quality of the crosses, which each reached dangerous areas with good speed and accuracy, you can all of a sudden see how Canada were able to do some damage off dead balls in the Germany and Spain games.
So as Canada looks to continue and improve in that area of their game, look for Beckie to keep whipping in balls like that into the box, as they’re the exact sort of crosses that Canada needs to start using the likes of Kadeisha Buchanan, Vanessa Gilles, Jordyn Huitema and Shelina Zadorsky more in those sorts of situations.
Looking Forward:
But overall, though, there was a lot to like with Beckie’s performance in this game. Despite heading into it having not played in a few weeks, often finding herself as an unused sub for Manchester City, she didn’t look like it, putting up a strong performance.
Yet, that’s just been what Beckie does for Canada, often finding a way to step up in these big games. Even though some might remember her struggles with penalties in certain games, for example, she doesn’t let that affect her, continuing to find a way to push to a new level in these big matches.
So as Canada gets set to tackle some big matches on their road to the 2023 World Cup, keep a close eye on Beckie going forward, as you just feel that she’s got some more big goals in her.
No matter her club situation, of which you have to imagine improves in some form or the other soon, she has just continued to plug away for Canada when her team has needed her, and this latest tournament was yet another example of that, showing her importance to this side.
Janine Beckie celebrates her goal vs England at the ACC (Canada Soccer/Daniela Porcelli)