Having a clear identity - knowing how you want to play is something that separates coaches IMHO.
Contexts can be different as coaches work with other teams - but can you find the common thread?
Examples below include grassroots to players drafted in to MLS.
Spain v USWYNT 19s today.
The. Gap. Is. Growing.
US looked like all the top athletes many will see at the ECNL event in NC this weekend. These will be coveted, revered, and fawned over.
Spain = another level.
I love the attention Roberto De Zerbi is receiving - but people are forgetting others like Setien and Sarri that were really using similar methods a few years prior.
All about attracting near to create space far to break into.
Saw this breakout rondo on a football session platform ($). It is these type of random ads that gets my mind turning.
Like the idea of moving these rondos to focus on moments/situations.
From game 2 - US 20s v Korea 20s.
A good example of starting your build or play from the central channel.
The central starting point squeezes opposition freeing space wide to progress.
Many, even at this level, play to the width too early IMO and into traps.
Sharing one of my favorite goals from
@FCBfemeni
.
Some good learning from this clip.
- Play what you see.
- Third Player Combinations.
- Positional Interchange
Observation:
What is the point of training "check your shoulder" when there is nothing to check for?
If there is nothing there (opposition, teammate) - are we reducing the value of perception bc it is just a box ticked in unopposed training?
A session we did the other night to work on defensive organization.
I will share two of the exercises and some video to support the tasks. Both are newer exercises for this group.
Exercise
#2
- 3 Zone Positional Rondo
I like this exercise & mirrors RDZ's own words and methods he has shown.
Common solutions do not mean he is patterned based.
Playing against the press and find the free player behind the player that jumps.
It looks patterned when defensive strategies are more patterned IMO.
Roberto De Zerbi - Coaching Playing Out From the Back
Skill Practice - 12 players
PROVOKE - Bait the opposition to press the player on the ball
PLAY INTO PRESSURE - Look to link passes to find the free player where the pressure has come from
PLAY THROUGH THE PRESSURE - Find the
One piece of a new document that I am building for a new project.
Looking to better identify my methodology. As noted before - we can all have the same ideas. The teaching/execution of those ideas is what separates us all.
Time for another new exercise.
Objective: Improve team's ability to reach noted Key Space and get player facing forward to break final line.
Gray in 5v2 to break screening line on the ground into 5v4.
Black win possession can counter opposite direction.
Introducing Michael Prunty as the new head coach of
@mplscity2
He will lead the team in their delayed but still inaugural season in the
@UPSLsoccer
Read more:
Here is an example of how we looked to adapt our structure to create advantages.
Facing an aggressive, man-oriented opposition. We adapted our starting structure by moving a CM (8) lower next to our CB (6).
Creating bigger gaps on either side of their remaining HM.
Ten Commandments of Positional Play.
Thanks again to
@brais_acebal
for the inspriation from his blog post.
The motivation for the presentation was to interpret Brais’ ideas and identify corresponding video clips from my team.
Enjoy!
Listened to an interesting chat about game models and how they're used to rob players of freedom.
I believe the purpose has been misinterpreted. It is not to rob - but instead bring together. Sing from the same song sheet.
No patterns here - just collective understanding.
“In football, ‘technique’ means the execution of a decision and not, as for example in gymnastics, the execution of a technique.” -
@raymondverheije
I know this is rarely the definition used in the contexts I work.
This from
@raymondverheije
reminds me of a line I heard once…
“Players can only see the passes they can make.”
I like the line but trade “solutions” for “passes”.
Soccer Starts @ Home…
8 yo - “If I meg you 4 times, I don’t have to shower.”
Me - “What if I meg you 4x?”
8 yo - “I will clean your bathroom.”
Both my daughter and 🚽 are now clean.
There is always value in going back and reviewing sessions.
How effective you are as an educator is an important question to ask.
In this clip...welp...coaching fail...but showed the courage to get back up and pretend like it never happened.
Some of the best soccer in this country is played in the NAIA.
You get more training time, and several schools that make soccer a priority.
Loved coaching in the NAIA.
What is NAIA?
That question is asked way too much. Youth soccer coaches, please educate your players of all the soccer associations they can play at. NAIA programs offer atheltic scholarships, competitive soccer, and strong academic programs.
#CSTruth
Preparing some rondo work for an upcoming session. This will be the first time for this group this season working in a rondo.
We are going to start off with some promotion and relegation 4v2/5v2s.
Dribble to Attract
This concept is important to how positional play can be expressed. The video below was produced for players to see and understand the concept.
Excited to have officially completed this journey with
@FAWCoachEd
.
Met great people, heard new ideas, and my approach was challenged. Everything education should be!
"It is important to circulate the ball rapidly - but it is also important to know when to retain it to attract opponents and generate space in other areas...
How about this for a build to finish off a goal kick?
- Man focused centrally allowed bigger passing lanes.
- LW wins in 1v1 and is able to play forward to ST to create 3rd / 4th player combo.
10v3 Position Game w Transition Elements.
- Large overload.
- Overloaded team playing for # of passes w no direction.
Does this pass US Soccer education courses?
I like the exercise a lot and work from something similar - but is it do as we say not as we do?
Joy can manifest itself in many different ways.
In this case, watching a bunch of the 🇺🇸's finest play ⚽️ in the shadow of a 15th century 🏰 brings us 𝗷𝗼𝘆. 😀
Hoping this episode of Inside the Lines does the same for you.
#USMNTisBack
#TheFutureisUS
What I miss about the old soccer coaching Twitter was people sharing their work.
Now I see people just using clips of pro teams and cool graphics.
I miss learning about people's methodologies and how these concepts are applied in their contexts.
Reflections from a weekend of college women's soccer.
1. Poor technique frequently used as an excuse for poor play when it is usually poor positioning.
2. Players/teams lack the recognition of when they are in or have entered unfavorable space and lack the tools to exit.
Little late for the
#SundayShare
...
Below is the final on field assessment for the UEFA B with the Welsh FA. We were tasked with designing a specific or general session followed by a SSG.
We coached each part for a 10 min block. I went with a specific exercise into the SSG.
Individual Habits - Receiving Back Foot
We train/reinforce individual habits during the rondo phase of training w some unopposed tech depending on week.
Rondo = Ind Habit
Positional Game = Team Concepts
SSP / Phase = Team Tact / Strategy
A great example of back foot x 3 here.
I wanted to share a nice little progression I used this past week at the college level. We were training in pods with groups of 11-12 players.
Positional Game - 4v4+3
Watching Game 2 - Spain 19s v
@USYNT
19s:
US are defending better and causing more problems on the break - but peak the opener from Spain.
Coaches - spend time with both of these games.
Putting the final pieces on our program's "Play Book" for 2024. Focus on our play against the ball.
Clip
#1
- High Press from Restart
Concepts:
- We all go
- Dictate 1st choice
- 2nd wave deny immediate options
- Regain > Destroy
A good example of these concepts.
[1/4] “If I cannot intervene in defense, I have to position myself to attack, and if I cannot intervene in attack, I must position myself to defend. The defense situation begins before the loss of the ball..." - Lillo
🧵With some recent chat about unopposed tech work in college programs - I wanted to share one unopposed exercise and the context that we use it.
First the exercise - which is used early in a season or my time with a group.
Playing with Keynote in the late hours. The goal to build short videos to share with team to reference specific concepts, tactics, etc.
The following is a short explanation of a change I made with a team from a 541 to a 532 and the reasoning behind it.
Opposite movement is very uncommon in my environments.
Most central players move side to side following the ball and blocking the passing lane to the higher players.
THE SECOND ATTACKER | Opposite Movement
Common Error: We often observe players moving in front, positioning themselves in a less favorable situation to have a good body profile and controlling forward.
Players don't be attracted to the ball. Find the best space.
Monday’s
#CVSpaces
speakers will be Premier League tactical analyst
@PremLeaguePanel
and Hamline university women’s head coach
@CoachPrunt
.
We’ll be reacting to Brighton v Liverpool and discussing how De Zerbi and Klopp are evolving their teams... 🗣🟣
Michael Prunty, who masterminded MC2's run to the UPSL national quarterfinal last year, will spend 2022 as an assistant coach with the
@USLLeagueTwo
squad.
He's good at coaching.
For me - this is an important part of what Ben discusses.
Too many sessions based on themes from coaching courses vs principles of your playing style.
Not enough have a defined style so it is jumping from theme to theme.
The faster the ball goes forward - the faster it comes back.
A ton of examples of starting the game shorter going wrong - but we need to see more of these "risk averse" approaches leading to goals against (because they do).
The opponent's long goal-kick is an excellent opportunity to create a scoring chance.
Often, the backline is disorganized and has a frontal body profile, so they are not ready to run in behind.
You can prepare your strikers to take advantage of it.
As I continue to watch random women’s college soccer games - because why not in a pandemic…
A missing piece for many is how building even 5 passes brings order and structure to the attacking phase.
So few build enough possession to actually get into an attacking shape.
I remember a USL2 coach told a JUCO program Loic wasn’t good enough for them after scoring a big US Open Cup goal.
It seems to have worked out for Loic.
That for me is one of the hardest thing to teach older players (especially defenders/GK). The ball is seen as a ticking time bomb and it must be moved on.
I have been working w a group of 2013s and getting them to hold the ball to entice that jump has been fun to watch.
Been back in the US for a day now and am able to reflect on my UEFA B experience with the
@FAWales
in Wrexham.
Quality instructors that challenged my details as a coach. I would highly recommend this course!
Now just waiting for my results!
Which I believe can be taught to any player at all levels regardless of the perceived lack “technical ability” that is used as an excuse to not attempt a positional style of play.
‘Any footballer who understands space and time and positioning can become a better player because he knows how to receive the ball alone with time to play a pass or shoot.’ - Quique Setién
Our run comes to an end. Thanks to all the players at
@mplscity2
for their time and work! So much was accomplished.
Special shout to
@aprilprunty
for her support at home and holding down the fort in my absence!
As coaches are we prepared to answer the "why" behind our exercises and session? Can you connect each exercise and coaching point back to the game model?
Being prepared for this can separate a coach from others.
Our little soccer player scored her first and second goals of her young soccer career!
Has the engine needed to play as an 8 - but showed some composure in front of the goal... 😉
Early day with my group - but this video shows a freshman starting to understand the idea of finding space between lines.
Love the recognition and the movement.
Not one team or player I have worked with in the US does this naturally.
They (Spain) feel the game differently.
It can be taught here though - but how many can teach it?
Players & Coaches need to understand what the game looks like internationally
When I was in Spain last year, I was able 2 watch the 🇪🇸 U17 YNT train & I wanted to show this clip of what their "standard" is
Patient in pos (find the free player), change tempo, rotations, etc
This moment is the biggest difference. Deep build-up play with CB on the ball.
A moment in time frozen can be dangerous. The RCB on the ball - does not have a clear path forward. She is not pressed so she waits.
As I tell players - the def will give you the solution.
Pep purposefully going to each player that didn’t come on and have a moment with them.
👏 👏 👏
He knows how disappointed they are and wants them to know how important they were to this title.
Minnesota’s first Covid-19 vaccine has officially been administered. Thera Wittie has worked as an RN at the Minneapolis VA Hospital for 10 years. She’s feeling great.
#wcco
Watching women's collegiate soccer.
- Both teams look to play direct from goal kick.
- Neither wins their own first or second ball.
- How does that reality justify what you ask of your team?
- If this is your identity, shouldn't you be better at it?
We ended our time in Vegas on a good note.
Our group from Iowa beat So Cal Blues ECNL 3-1. It was a good performance with quality soccer against a strong team.
Excited to see the level we can push our players here in our state. We need to get out and play these teams more.
Now that the City season is over - I wanted to share some of the session prep content that was sent to the players and staff during the preseason period.
Limited training time in preseason so we tried to set the stage for learning before hand.
It has been awhile since I have sat down & put some thoughts together.
Watching games this weekend - I come away with this feeling of a false dichotomy between the ideas of building the attack and going direct in the attack.
It is not an either or thing IMO
Concept: Stepping in by CB + Driving to Narrow
Love this moment of a deep set piece due to the play of the CB.
HM arrives to bounce and allow the CB to drive forward breaking the first line.
The driving w the ball narrows the opposition and allows us to play around.
A few more chunks of a larger project on my approach to positional play and how it is expressed.
The deeper one goes the more one must be clear in their ideas.
We have been using this variation to the 4v4+3 this season. Thank you to
@HolocherPaul
for sharing.
2 x 4 min = 4v4+3 w/out goals
2 x 4 min = Score after building from one target to the other.
A lot of principles to be brought out of this one.
This game showed so many differences between the two teams.
Both played a version of a 433 where one OB released & the other stayed to form a 3-2 base.
That is where the similarities ended.
We fail when we don't reflect and learn from these games. How many are watching?
(1/6) 🧵The 3rd Player 🧵
Common team solutions for me is important in being able to play proactively.
We put a lot of emphasis on these types of solutions to advance the free player.
The thread has a series of 3rd player movements all different - but all very similar.
A couple snippets of another document I am putting together on my views and expression of positional play.
We must be able to take our knowledge and make it our own to fit our context and our methods as a coach.
With the help of Google Translate - got this translated and wanted to share some of the quality being put out by
@elfals9
.
He is putting out 14 "pills" on positional play and this is just one of them.
This one comes from
@osjoras10
.
La GESTIÓ de l'ESPAI i el TEMPS, a càrrec d'Oscar Jorquera Asensio,
@osjoras10
, entrenador a l'Acadèmia TOVO. Píldora de coneixement per apropar-nos cap a la comprensió del joc posicional.
Not to be too big of a Pep fan boy - but this below is very relevant to my friends in this country trying to play the game on tight football field and less than ideal grass fields.
It is easy to make excuses for why not vs looking for solutions and teaching our players.
Watching
@albert_capellas
presentation at Inspire from years back.
On scouting:
Players who prevent problems = find them
Players who solve problems = train them/help them
Players who create problems = skip them
Lots of coaches teaching 1 touch action without purpose… Sometimes by playing 1 touch the pressure does not even have time to arrive where the ball is…
Game 2 - Learning Moment - Body Profile
US free kick is started short and switched through the ball moving around to the opposite RB.
Camera angle is tough - but I am going to focus on one momentum as a teaching tool.
This moment leads to a period of chaotic play.
Where is the free player?
Collective recognition of our extra player so that we can advance the game under our version of control.
A quick video below for our group. I make use of professional examples mixed with our own team.
Another great article by
@elfals9
again with a quality translation and formatting from
@hatrik10
.
Due to its length - I have posted the article through my website.
Enjoy