Training - Saturday, April 28

Well, our last session before State Cup begins.  The girls are excited and have been playing some of the best soccer I've ever seen them play. 

We've focused on individual and team defending the last two sessions.  Why?  Because defense wins championships.  If we don't allow goals, we are in every game.  That goes for this event, this summer in the Premier league, and hopefully in June at Regionals.  I believe that the only ways we will give up goals in this particular event to other teams at our age groups is 1) on quick counter attacks/breakaways, or 2) on set pieces.  I could be wrong, and I would truly be pleasantly surprised if a team scored on us by outplaying us through build up.  Too cocky?  I don't think so.  I just don't see it happening.

Who knows which way the ball will bounce for us in this event, but regardless of the outcome, I am very proud of where this group is at right now.  Would I be disappointed if we failed to advance out of this event to Regionals?  Extremely.  Do I know that it is a possibility?  Most definitely.  Though there would likely be many more life lessons for all of us if we end up getting beat here in MN, I would much prefer that we don't have to deal with those issues at this particular point :)

4:00PM - 5:30PM Field Training

I. 8v8 Walking Soccer

II. 4v4 Linked Soccer

III. Individual Functional Training

Forwards - Breakaways

Defenders - Clearances in the Box

Wide Players - Services into the Box

IV. 8v9 to Goal with Counters - Defending Set Pieces

Training - Saturday, Mar 17

8:15AM - 8:45AM FIT Training

8:45AM - 9:15AM Video Analysis

After two months we finally finished our All the Goals of UEFA Euro 2004 DVD.  Today, we began analyzing the Arsenal 2005/2006 Farewell to Highbury.  Some really cool stuff on this one.

9:15AM - 10:45AM Field Training

I wanted to do some functional training for the players based on the positions they would likely be playing in Richmond next weekend.  With 15 girls at training, here is what I did.

I. Functional Positional Training

I wanted to do some functional training for the players based on the positions they would likely be playing in Richmond next weekend.  With 15 girls at training, here is what I did.

Forwards - Receiving and First Touch in the Box

I took the six girls who in all probability would play forward at some point next weekend to give them some ideas about receiving passes in the box (opposing team's penalty area).  I also took Mud (our GK) with us.

Defenders - Long Range Shooting/Long Balls

The other 8 girls worked on long range shooting and long ball passing/receiving technique.

II. 10v6 To Goal - Set Pieces

Setup

• 60x60 yard field with goals at each end
• One full team minus a GK of 10 players, all the remaining players on the short-handed team
• Short-handed team has a designated GK in goal, full team plays without a GK

Procedure

• Play the game
• Coach whistles random fouls and calls random corner kicks for the full team (the attacking team) in order to give that team numerous opportunities to work on their attacking set pieces
• Rotate the full team members with short-handed team members at will

Make It Competitive

• Keep score, losing team does a fun or fitness penalty
• If the short-handed team is finding it difficult to score, even on the empty goal, you can tweak this to give them points if they can play the ball out past a certain point or into a certain area, or if they can dribble the ball over an imaginary score line (35 yard line for example), etc.

Coaching Points - Corner Kicks

• Don't tune out when the ball goes out of play
• Get to positions quickly, all the while with and eye on the ball
• Be assertive and direct players where needed.  "Mac, you're near post!" rather than "Who's going to run near?"
• Attack the ball, pounce on any loose balls in the box... gotta have a scoring attitude!

Coaching Points - Attacking Free Kicks

• Know the ref hand signals for direct and indirect, ask if you are uncertain
• If you don't think you have 10 yards between you and the opponent's wall AND you want it, ask the ref for it
• For shots on goal, concentrate on hitting the target (get your shots on goal)
• Other players don't sleep and watch the ball, attack the goal and look for rebounds
• Understand where we want the ball played from different free kick areas

This is an exercise that Buzz used to do a lot with the Thunder prior to important games.  It was always fun if you were on the full team!  That would mean that you were in the starting line up for the next day's game.  It was tough being on the short handed team as 1) you knew you were not starting the next day, and 2) you would always get hammered by the full team.

III. 8v8 End Game Situations

We finished the session playing 8v8.  I would give different end game scenarios to the teams, focusing on them adjusting their play in order to keep a lead or press for a goal.  For example, I would put 5 minutes on the clock and say yellow is up 1-0 over blue.  Yellow would play to maintain the lead, blue would be forced to play to try and equalize.

If we have a lead late in a game:

• Don't panic - be smart
• Time is our friend, don't sprint to get balls back in play
• No risks in the back, play the ball long up field rather than taking chances
• We don't need to go to goal at 100mph - getting and holding the ball up field is important as well
• Low pressure, drop back behind the ball and keep the play in front of you

If we are behind and need a goal late in a game:

• Don't panic - be smart
• More urgency to get the ball in play quickly on throw ins, goal kicks, etc (and get the ball for the other team)
• High pressure to win the ball
• Man on man in the back to push players forward
• Get the ball in the danger area (opponent's box)

Training - Tuesday, March 6

6:00PM - 6:30PM Ball Masters - Individual Skills Development

I. Turning Under Pressure

Just a little technical warm-up for the girls.

Setup

• Players work in pairs with one ball between them

Procedure

• One partner (Blue) faces forward with their legs spread just wider than shoulder width apart
• The other partner (Green) stands behind Blue with the ball
• (1) Green plays the ball through blue's legs and then runs to one side of Blue or the other
• (2) Blue gets to the ball quickly, feels the pressure from Green on one side and turns away from pressure and dribbles quickly back to the line

Coaching Points

• Attackers must either see or feel (with their hands) where the defender is
• Turn away from pressure, don't show the defender the ball.  In the illustration above, Blue could use a Right Foot (RF) Inside Cut, a LF Outside Cut, a LF Pull Back, a LF Step Over Turn, a LF Cryuff Turn, etc.
• Explode out of the turn to take advantage of your move and create distance between you and the defender
• Defenders must stay to the side of the attackers (this is an attacking drill, not a defending drill) and make body contact

6:30PM - 7:45PM Field Training

I. Corner Kick Attack

Attacking Set Up and Runs

Direct Service

• Simple.  Get the ball into the box.  We have 3 or 4 girls now who stand above average chances of getting the ball directly into the middle of the box in the air.  No one is very consistent at it yet, but we're getting there.

Sneaky

• Ball played back to outside back for service
• Runs must be delayed, watch for the signal

Target 1-2

• (1) Target player releases to the ball
• (2) Corner is played to the Target's feet
• (3) Target plays back to corner kick taker for a service
• The idea here is to get a service into the box from a better angle and closer in to the danger area
• Runs are delayed, watch for the signal

Slot Dummy

• (1) Run triggers the play here  Near post runner releases early demanding the ball. 
• (2) Corner is played in low and hard and dummied (let pass) by the near post runner
• (3) Player at the top of the box shoots

Set Pieces - Corner Kick Attack and Defense

Our final session prior to the Omaha friendlies.  I covered attacking and defending cornerkicks.  Nothing fancy here, just repetition and practice with 20 or 30 cornerkicks.