The Question: should we expect goals galore at World Cup 2014? | Jonathan Wilson

[Jonathan Wilson]

The emphasis on a systematic approach to football has made club teams more attacking but World Cup ones more defensive Interactive: a history of the Golden Boot at the World CupAfter the 1990 World Cup had yielded only 2.21 goals per game, Fifa was so concerned that it brought in three points for a win, outlawed the tackle from behind and began the process of liberalising the offside law. The last World Cup produced fewer goals per game than any tournament since 1990, with just 2.27. In terms of tinkering with the laws, though, Fifa has done nothing although, as the Sunday papers remind us every week, it has not been entirely inactive in the four years since.
It is not just the endless fight against corruption allegations that has prevented Fifa from taking action, though: there is also the fact that club football suggests there is no need for any tinkering with the laws. The Premier League last season brought an average of 2.76 goals per game, lower than the previous seasons average of 2.80, which in turn was lower than the 2.81 of 2011-12, but the fifth season in a row in which more than 2.7 goals have been scored.
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