Transition Training September 30th

Since we are playing in the Boys Division this weekend, our major focus will all be about transition from defending to attacking.  Our biggest key when we play the boys is this topic so everything will be based on playing hard defense while knowing where we will go when we win the ball.

I) 2v2+2

Set Up

• Grid is 10x20 
  • It is longer than normal so we really have to focus on moving out of the one area with the ball and into another part of the field
• Everyone has a partner.  Each grid has a Blue team, Red, Team, and Green team.

Procedure

• The two Blues on the side hit one touch passes back and forth
• The Red player in the gate, times when to intercept a pass
  • As the game progresses the players hitting one touches can try to score in the gate with a one touch if they read when the defender is going to try to intercept their pass
• When the Red player intercepts the pass, she plays it to her teammate on the far side of the grid
• The two Blues now become defenders in the grid
• The two Green neutrals are now live as well
• The Red's and Green's go 4v2 and try to score on the far gate
• If the Blue's win the ball, they are 4v2 with the neutrals trying to score

Key Points

• Quality one touch passes
• Recogniztion of the process of defending

1.  
   1. Win the ball and play the first person you 
   2. That player plays the next player quickly
   3. Work to create splits
   4. Footwork

II) 3v3 +2 To Gates

Set Up

• Two teams of 5 players
• Three players from each team are in the middle and the other two players are in a gate

Procedure

• Teams play 3v3 in the middle and score a point by playing the ball to a teammate in the gate
• The teammate in the gate joins the game and the player who passed the ball, takes their place

Key Points

• Recognition of when the ball will be played to a player in the gate and moving to give her options so you do not become trapped.
• Possession
• Footwork

III) 9v9 Six Goal Game

Procedure

• If the team wins the ball on one side of the field, they can only score on the goal on the far side or the middle goal.
• You can score on the side you won the ball on, if you get the ball to the other half of the field and play a one touch for the goal

Key Points

• Win the ball and switch it quickly
• Recognize if you are running to receive the next pass or to be 1-2 passes ahead

Changing Speed & Changing Lanes- Training September 24th

Repeat last Wednesday's session.

Training- September 23rd

Today I worked with the USYS group going to Kansas City and Gabe took the Pre ECNL group.  Below is the Pre ECNL training session.

Players- 15

I) 5v3

II) Pattern Work- Wide 1v1 with space, 2 runners on back line and two late runners

• 1v1's out wide
  • Set up, speed, types of moves
  • Recognize if it is early cross, drive to end line, or going to goal
• Fwds early runs
  • Timing, speed, making multiple runs
  • Tricking the defender
• Late runners
  • Setting up to shoot before you get the ball
  • All about footwork and positioning

III) Box Organization Crossing & Finishing

I grabbed this activity from Bobby Puppione from CUP.  Changed it to have 4 runners in the box and just 3 defenders.  I also had the defenders play as a back 3 so they were not just man marking in the box and the play resembled attacking in a game a bit more.  

I also moved the crossers so we had them dribbling for an end line cross for one set and the other went wide to play in the early cross.  Before the defenders or attackers could be involved in a cross we had them make it to a set line so players were not camping out in the box and they had to be moving towards the goal.

IV) Scrimmage

Qualifying For U13 MRL Premier I Spring

This past weekend we qualified for the spring MRL Premier I Spring Division.  We are the first team in Minnesota to ever qualify for this division. . . So that is cool.  

What does it mean?  

It means that we finished in the top four of our Fall Premier I West Blue Qualification Division

Our top four combine with the top four of the MRL PDQ West Red Division to make up the Spring Premier I Division.

MRL Levels

The U13 Division was added last year, in 2013.  We applied to have a MTA team in MRL last year at U13 but MYSA would not allow a team from MYSA to compete in MRL at that age group.  MRL was furios.  MYSA changed their stance and allowed us to have a team this year.

MRL has evolved over the years and now MRL has many different levels.   At U13 there are two levels. 

• First Division (5 Divisions)
  • Top Teams qualify to Premier II Division
  • Lower teams stay in First Division
• Premier Qualification Division (4 Divisions)
  • Top Teams qualify for Premier I Division
  • Lower teams drop to Premier II Divsion

MRL Spring Premier I Division

The MRL Spring Premier I Division will take the place of Spring tournaments for us as this will give us 7 games vs quality opponents.  

MRL is a part of the USYS National Championship Series.  The National Championship Series starts at the State Cup Level.  If you win your State Cup you go to USYS Regionals.  If you win USYS Regionals your team goes to USYS Nationals.

MRL Premier I winners obtain a automatic qualification for the Midwest Regionals.  If the MRL Premier I winner wins State Cup, the bid goes to the second place team.  If the second place team wins their State Cup the bid goes to the third place team and so on and so on.

Why Are We Doing This As An ECNL Club?

We are doing this for a few reasons.

1. To play the best teams in the Region
2. To qualify for the Midwest Regional 2015 Tournament
3. To obtain entry into the 2015-16 USYS National League

USYS National League

The USYS National League is comprised of a series of tournaments where each team competes in two tournaments, (8 games) to complete the league.  This fits in perfectly with the ECNL schedule and I believe this group can compete at this level and they have the interest level to do this.

MRL Day 2 Weekend #2 September 20-21

Game #3 vs Eclipse Select

Final Score: 4-4

 Key Points

• We started off this game really well.  The first 15 minutes we really controlled the game, moved the ball side to side very well.
• Our wingers put in too many early crosses instead of taking their 1v1's and we didn't have enough people looking to score to take full advantage of our good play.
• The story of the rest of the game was a continous loop of 
  • We play well and score
  • Then we allow Eclipse to stage the play in our half after we scored and they score.
  • We play well and score.
  • We allow them to be in our end and they tie it up.
  • Repeat until score is 4-4
• We hopefullly have learned the lesson, against good teams, that after we score we need to get them to face their own goal as quickly as possible so we can maintain our possession in their half.
• As frustrating as it was to give up the lead four times, it was a pretty fun U13 game with both teams really working on moving the ball and dealing with momentum swings.
• Their true danger just came from their two speedy forwards.  We need to make sure they play short into their forwards and do a better job of making it predictable when we are defending.
• Offensively we need to shoot a lot more on them.

Game #4 vs Mequon

Final Score 7-0

Key Points

• I figured this game could be pretty tough for a few reasons: 
  • The morning game was frustrating to end up with a draw.  
  • We were playing our fourth game and had to be up at 5:30am both days with a long break between games.
  • We were not playing to clinch the league title.
  • Mequon had played everyone really tough.  They hadn't scored many goals, but every game was close so I figured that, if we didn't score early, it could become very frustrating to spend most of the game in their half and not be able to finish.
  • It was becoming pretty windy.
• We challenged the girls to play their best game of the MRL Season and put everything that we had seen throughout the season, together into this game.  Possess, Press, Create Chances, and Finish.
• The girls were awesome!  By far our best game of the fall.  We destroyed them from the beginning of the game.  
• They played a high line and we broke through them very easily as this was the 3rd or 4th team that has done this so we were very comfortable.
• We created chances and scored in a variety of ways.
• It was very fun to watch and a great way to end the MRL Season.