U13G Midwest Soccer Challenge - Day 1

To kick off our local tournament circuit, I entered the girls into the U13 division of the Midwest Soccer Challenge (MSC).

As if you couldn't tell from my previous posts dating back to the winter, I had a strange feeling that we'd be hit with weather this year in Iowa. With the thought of no or a few games there, I wanted to get the girls outside on grass prior to the beginning of the State Cup Tournament later this month. The MSC's timing was good and they were short a U13 girls team, so we added it to our calendar. I presented it an optional tournament addition to the families but we had all 16 girls able to commit to the weekend.

We drew Sibley, Centennial, and Blackhawks in our group. PSA looked to be the likely favorite out of the other group, a group that also housed Coon Rapids, TC Fire, and Mahtomedi.

Our first game was scheduled for Friday night, but Sibley had 7 girls out for a track meet (or something like that) so we bumped the game to Saturday afternoon.

So we ended up with Centennial's U13C1 team to open the tournament on Saturday morning.

MSC Game #1 vs Centennial SC U13C1

Kick off was scheduled at 11:15AM. Since we were unable to unload our usual Saturday morning dome time at AHA, I asked 6 of the girls to show up for 45 minutes to work on free kicks around the box. I didn't want to impose on the entire team to come in at 9:20AM for a short practice, then have to truck across town to Shoreview for an 11:15AM game, with another game later that day. But, this did provide an opportune time to do some focused, small-group work with girls who were likely to be involved with our free kicks around our opponent's penalty box.

Free kick training is a drag for girls who are not involved in the actual shooting or "plays". Some of the girls get a bit pouty when they're not asked to be involved in the free kicks, so I constantly have to lecture them about the benefits of working in a team setting. Some girls have developed faster than others and have more leg strength due to muscle mass and/or better technique. Other girls may be faster than some of the girls shooting free kicks and add to the team with their speed. Some may be better dribblers, some better defenders. I choose the girls who are best at this (free kicks) now to be on the ball. You want to take free kicks or believe that you can take them better than someone I've selected? Prove it. Show me you're working on it, show me at training. Sometimes I'm happy to be proved wrong :)

Anyway, it was a productive session with a handful of the ladies. We worked on two set plays and I gave them technique and ideas on hitting the ball directly (without fancy-shmancy plays) at goal.

Done at 10AM and off to the game.

I got to the fields and took in some of the Sibley v Blackhawks game that was going on. From what I saw, we'd be able to handle the teams if we played well.

The field was HUGE. 120 x 80. Would definitely benefit the faster, more athletic team.

My technical/tactical focus for the weekend was on the Line Pass and the Over the Top through balls, so here are the Skillzys® that were up for grabs this weekend.

I like our 4-4-2 formation because it promotes some tactical smarts from our two forwards. I ask them to both be on the ball side of the field with one (closest to the ball) offering a short option and the other one (farthest from the ball) looking to get deep and dangerous on the last defender (the defender furthest back). Now that the girls are starting to really grasp this movement in a two striker system, I'm looking at working with the mids and getting them to understand that they don't have to pass to their target forwards' feet all the time. Many times, a pass to space is the better choice. Some of the girls get this already, but I wanted to focus on these types of passes this weekend. Again, though the Line Pass and Over the Top through balls can be hit from our defensive end, I was going to introduce these tactics for the girls to use from the middle third getting us into the attacking third of the field.

Prior to the game, I gave the girls the coaching points for each Skillzy®. Both girls involved in the play would earn the specific Skillzy®, as you can't have Combination Play without a teammate :) Meaning, that for the Line Pass Skillzy®, both the passer and the receiver would earn the awards if completed properly. The plan was to revisit these coaching points before and after each game this weekend, with comprehension starting to sink in by the end of the weekend if all went as planned.

Started the match against Centennial in the 4-4-2 we've come to know and love.

7 minutes in, B-Money (RM) got us on the board after she stripped a Centennial defender of the ball at the top of their penalty box on the right side, and fired a low, hard shot near post.

5 minutes later, Babes (CM) controlled a poor Centennial goal kick about 20 yards out in the middle of the field and rolled a left-footed shot past the onrushing Centennial GK into the lower right corner.

A minute later, and the game was effectively put away as B-Money (now at RD) attacked up the right flank from her defensive position, cut across the top of the penalty box onto her left foot, and hit a bomb past the Centennial GK.

8 minutes into the second half, we got our fourth. Gizmo (LD) found Mickey (LF) with a long pass out of our own penalty box. Mickey turned her marking defender at the top of our circle and was off to goal. Though we had worke on diagonal runs this week in training, Em (RF) chose to pull away from Mickey, drawing the lone Centennial defender with her as Mickey steamed forward. By the time the Centennial defender chose to try and pressure Mickey, Mickey was too close to goal and finished with a hard, left-footed shot.

All in all it was a good start for us. Girls got to play a number of different positions, had a couple of Line Pass and Over the Top Skillzys® earned, and got a result to kick the tournament off.

Star of the Match for me was Gia, who had probably her one of her best games to date.

MSC Game #2 vs Sibley Area Sting U13C1

Game #2 over at Hazelwood Park in Maplewood. The field was no where near as large as the field this morning. Moreover, the grass was thin, making for a very fast and bumpy surface.

As the game before us on the same field ended, I walked the girls over to take our place on the player sidelines and begin our warm-up. The Sibley coach came over to shake hands and I introduced myself. He said he knew my name as I was a childhood hero of his (he grew up playing soccer in MN and attending Thunder games when I was playing with the team). He didn't look as young as I would have liked someone to look who just told me that I was a childhood hero of theirs. Man, I'm really getting old.

We took the kick off and a minute into the match Sibley's game plan became evident. Their coach, Jake, had stayed to watch us play Centennial after their morning game. He had a good idea of what he was up against and his thought was to have his girls sit back and defend. At the onset, I obviously didn't know how long this tactic was to be employed, but it was tough for us to breakdown.

Not only were there 10 gold shirts back on defense, but it was painfully clear that this was going to be a game in which the ball didn't bounce our way. We couldn't connect passes crisply, our wide players weren't sharp with their crossing, every loose ball seemed magnetically drawn to a Sibley girl's foot, our through balls found their defenders, their half clearances from the back seemed to find open space between our players and role back into our half forcing us to reset, etc. I've been in games like this before. Everything we do is not quite right, everything our opponents do seems to work for them.

We created chances but our finishing touches lacked accuracy and punch.

Their GK was very solid and active off her line, cutting out many of our dangerous through balls and would-be breakaways. Our girls could learn from that.

They had a big, strong, athletic girl in the center of defense who proved difficult to bypass, as well as a quick, crafty forward who caused us some trouble as the game flowed on and Sibley got into the attack. No dangerous chances at our goal, but frustrating for our girls for sure.

The MTA girls, who I believe knew that they were a more skilled team overall, started to play panicked a bit as the half went on. I'm sure they thought "We need to score, why isn't it happening for us?!?!". The frustration and the subsequent tension that seeped into the team sent us in a downward spiral of sorts with one thing feeding off the other. The more we got frustrated, the lower the quality of our play.

Halftime came deadlocked at 0-0.

My talk to the girls was all about getting them confident and relaxed. All teams have games where nothing seems to go right. We needed to dig deep and keep fighting. I was confident that we would score goals, we just needed a little more focus.

How do we break down a packed in defense? We needed to get width to draw out Sibley defenders from the central part of the field, then look to serve crosses into exposed areas. We needed to look to keep possession of the ball and move the ball around the back, forcing the Sibley team to move up the field to pressure us or move laterally to chase the ball - both types of movement would cause gaps to appear in dangerous central areas. We need to be patient, not look to force balls through the middle of the field into a wall of gold Sibley shirts.

Second half started out well for us. We continued our pressure and continued to create chances at net. I don't know if the Sibley coach changed tactics at halftime, but the game seemed to open up a bit - maybe from the tactical change, maybe from the young Sibley girls unable to maintain the defensive discipline demonstrated in the first half.

The ref seemed to be blowing his whistle in Sibley's favor almost every other time one of our girls came into direct contact with a Sibley player. We are a fairly touchy, physical team, and it is a contact sport, but sometimes refs think that anytime a girl is physical that it's a foul.

Anyway, on a not-so-dangerous moment about 10 minutes from time, the ref awarded Sibley with a penalty kick. I didn't see what happened exactly, but it seemed like Gizmo (LD) fouled a girl at the right edge of our penalty box.

Great. Completely dominating an opponent, and on one of the few times that opponents sees our half of the field, we conceded a PK. Their big central defender stepped up and hit a very good shot into the left side netting that Normy (GK) couldn't do much about.

Down one with 10 to play. Gizmo was obviously upset, thinking she lost the game for us, and in tears on the field. I looked over to the bench to figure out what changes I would need to make. Gizmo is crying, 3 of the girls said at the same time. I know. But I'm not going to pull her out now.

I called out to Gizmo and encouraged her to fight hard and help us try and get a goal back. I couple more sobs and sniffles, then grim determination settled on her face. Good for her.

We attacked from the kick off and sent a cross from the right high into the box. Mickey (LF) and one of the Sibley defenders went up for the header and must have bumped heads or something. The defender stayed down and the ref blew for a stoppage of play. A little fortunate break for us as it gave the girls time to get their composure back as well as for me to make changes.

I pulled one of our central defenders and we went to 3 in the back, adding another girl up top to play with 3 forwards. Instructions to the defenders were to play more direct and get the ball into the danger area as soon as they could. Forwards needed to be active, fight to win balls in the attacking third and pounce on any loose balls, and to get themselves in good scoring positions.

5 minutes from time we got our goal. After making a save off a shot from Babes (CM), the Sibley GK punted the ball up field. Gizmo (LD), who was attacking up the field, was recovering back. I thought the punt was going to clear her head and bounce into our half, but she made a flying leap back and to her left to deflect the ball forward with her left foot. The ball was passes in from the left to Em (CM), who played a quick Give & Go with Babes. Em beat a Sibley defender at the top of the box after receiving the return pass, and fired a high, hard shot from 18 yards out. The Sibley GK made a good effort at the high ball but could not get enough on the ball to stop it from crossing the goal line.

Girls went wild and hog-piled Em. Fun to watch. Happy for Gizmo to be involved.

4 minutes left. Kept out 3 up top instructing the girls to keep the pressure up and go for the winner. It didn't come, and the game ended 1-1.

I was actually pretty pleased with the afternoon. It was just one of those games that we easily could have lost as nothing seemed to go our way. As I've said, I've been in games like this before, and lost more than not. These girls have some fight though. More guts and grit overall that any other team I've worked with at this age group. I can't teach that stuff. I can help foster it with competitive training sessions, but I can't instill the heart and desire that most of these girls have. This has taken them a long way and will continue to do so in the future.

We can learn a lot from this game. We're sure to face some packed in defenses next year in State Cup, maybe even this year. It was clear to the girls the difficulties presented against teams who use this tactic, and I'll be able to reference this game in the future when needed.

Star of the Match for me was Em.  All over the field, hard workrate, big goal.

Guess the group winner will come down to our game tomorrow. Looks like it will be wet and cold. Hope we can get two games in.