A recent report on Swartz’s research says backward throw-ins can be more productive than they appear. Because opponents often crowd the area near their own goal, sending the ball back may create cleaner routes into possession.
The reported findings point to roughly two extra shots per 100 backward throw-ins, while long throws produced around four more. Those figures do not make either option automatic, but they challenge the instinct to treat every throw-in as a race for territory.
The wider lesson is clear: small restarts can be assessed like attacking moves, with the best choice shaped by spacing rather than tradition.
Tracking data is also being used to examine the “park the bus” approach. A 2023 study attributed to Swartz reportedly argued that deep defending can compress a team without making it genuinely safer.
The key question is whether a low block reduces dangerous chances or simply invites sustained pressure. Tracking can measure distance between lines, team width and the space surrendered in front of the penalty area. That gives coaches a sharper basis for deciding when protection becomes passivity.
Set pieces belong to the same conversation. With matches often decided by narrow margins, rehearsed movement and defensive assignments can matter as much as open-play quality.
The report says Swartz expects to focus on set pieces and defensive behaviour at the World Cup. He reportedly still gives Canada a chance of reaching the knockout stage, although with less optimism than a year earlier.
Injury concerns, particularly those surrounding Alphonso Davies, could shape that outlook. Canada’s athleticism and attacking threat give them a platform, but tournament football often turns on availability, an offside by centimetres or a shot hitting the post.
The next storyline will be whether teams convert tracking insights into simple match-day choices-and whether Canada can keep its key players fit when those margins matter most.