When players line up for corner kicks, there are plenty of factors they take into consideration.



First is the number of their teammates going into the box to serve as a target. From there, it’s a quick scan to see if there are any egregious mismatches in height. The merits of outswinging corners are also up for debate, as the data has shown that inswingers are more likely to lead to goals than their hooking counterparts.



That last point was in the mind of Saint Louis FC midfielder Lewis Hilton as he lined up his fifth attempt of the second half against the hosting Des Moines Menace. How can we know for sure? Well, a Menace fan was standing two feet away from the corner to remind him every time he approached.



“Hilton, you tried an outswinger last time,” said Blake Siberz, a former Menace defender who won a PDL Championship and an Open Cup match against the Charleston Battery with the Menace. On this night, he is wearing a plaid button-up and...