Training - Tuesday, January 2

I started the month of defensive sessions with the basics of 1v1.  The idea today was to work on closing the ball down quickly with the correct angle of approach, assuming a correct defensive position, then delaying and jockeying the attacker. 

I. Closing At Speed

Setup
- 3 players to a ball (A, B, and C)
- A and B stand together, C stands about 10 - 12 yards away

Procedure
(1) A passes the ball to C
(2) B closes to defend
(3) B assumes a good defensive position
(4)  C gives B the ball, B plays to A and C closes down A

Coaching Points
* Defenders close at speed while the ball is moving

* Defenders should shorten their strides as they approach the attacker.  Why?  Long strides = less frequent foot contact with the ground = less ability to change direction.  Short strides = more frequent contact with the ground = more ability to change direction in reaction to the attacker's movements.

* Defenders need to find the correct "buffer zone" between themselves and the attackers.  Too far away and the attacker will not feel pressure, too close and the attacker can take a quick touch by you.

* Correct defensive position is side on, offset defending.  Defenders are trying to make the attackers predictable in order to help defender's teammates make adjustments. 

- Square defending allows the attacker to go either way, while also not letting the defender have a good chance of recovering if beaten.

- Side on defending allows the defender to better recover backwards if beaten, but still allows the attacker to go either way.

- Side on, offset defending allows the defender to better recover backwards if beaten while channeling the attacker to one side or the other.

I then took these concepts into a 1v1 exercise to goal.

Defense Wins Championships

After a ten-day "break" from structured soccer training, we began our Winter II (Jan - Mar) training program yesterday.  I say "break" as we had 12 girls participate in an optional two-day holiday indoor tournament over the holiday week.  We actually had 9 teams from our club participate in the Christmas Cup at the Corner Kick Indoor Facility in Maplewood, MN, and it was a fun change to have the girls play the fast-paced 6v6 boarded indoor game.  It a fantastic semifinal game, we avenged a 1-2 group play loss to the Bangu U14 girls, scoring the winning goal with 3 seconds left on the clock to pull ahead 2-1 and move to the final game.  It was actually one of the hardest fought games that our girls had in a long time and the U13 girls showed some real guts and heart to battle back from a 1-0 deficit against the older girls.  The two teams will meet for friendlies a few times later this winter/spring and then come up against each other in the U14 Premier League this summer... all the meetings are sure to be hard-fought battles!

Most of Winter I was geared towards technical shooting/finishing.  My goal for the first part of Winter II is to focus on both individual and team defending.  Once a solid defensive foundation is set, I will then look to move into attacking build up.

Defense was engrained in my blood during my days with the MN Thunder.  I think Buzz Lagos (Head Coach) was one of the great teachers of defending principles, and the long hours the team spent dedicated on defensive was the cornerstone of the success we had since the organization's inception in 1989.

Though I've been preaching solid defensive habits since taking this team back in 2004, I feel the girls are at a stage at which they can really start to understand why we do certain things on our defensive end, and how these aspects relate to the game as a whole.  All the girls who have been with me in previous years have had experience with pressure, delay, cover, channeling, double teams, recovery runs, and tackling.  After revisiting these topics for the benefit of the new girls with us this year as well as to reinforce the ideas in the heads of returning players, I plan on moving to more team defending aspects.  Here is a rough outline of the topics I want to cover and the order in which we will touch on them.

1v1 Defending

• Pressure
• Footwork
• Patience
• Angle of Approach
• Channeling
• Denying the Turn
• Moving with the Ball
• Block and poke tackles
• Tackle Feints
• Verbal and visual communication

1v2 Defending

• Recovery runs
• Delay/Jockeying vs Diving In
• Double Teams
• Cover
• Channeling
• 1st and 2nd Defender
• Communication by 2nd Defender

2v2 Defending

• Cover
• Drop Steps
• Ball Watching
• Visual Communication

2v3 Defending

• Triangle Shape
• Balance/Shape
• Double Team Opportunities
• Communication

4v3, 5v3 Defending

• Blocking Passing Lanes
• Defensive Work Rate
• Communication

High Pressure Defending

Transition to Attack

Playing a Flat Back 4

Counter Attacks

Some of this stuff will be more of an ongoing lesson (like playing a flat back, transition play, etc) but I think I can cover a lot of stuff in the next dozen or so training sessions.  With the girls be pros by the time I'm done with them?  No way.  But I think they will be better all around players and our team will end up much stronger in the long run.