Spatial Awareness

High school soccer presents a vast array of problem solving opportunities for coaches.  In the best of programs there will exist multiple teams on a developmental scale - Varsity, JV A, JV B, Freshman and Middle School teams.  I've been there.  At the other end of the spectrum are high school teams with varsity only.  Sometimes these varsity only teams are even co-ed.  I've been there too.

As a new parent-coach back in the mid 1990's I inquired of the local high school coach what he believed most freshmen were lacking when they came out for the high school teams. His reply was"the ability to execute a push pass". As this man would become a mentor to me, I took him at his word. The youth players I worked with could all successfully execute the push pass when they entered 9th grade. When my son was being recruited to play in college I often asked coaches what they believed was the biggest weakness in most recruits games.  The answer was a near unanimous - "spatial awareness". If you have ever worked with a team of wide ranging abilities, you will surely appreciate this response.

My most recent club team and most recent high school team both suffered from a lack of cohesive and uniform understanding of spatial awareness. It's often said a team is only as strong as its weakest player on the field. There is a measure of truth to this especially as it concerns spatial awareness.

I often inform my teams the game is a living breathing thing and they must work on developing a relationship with it through listening and observing how it changes in response to ball and player movement. The boundaries and various lines affect this as well as the distances required on restarts.  Even the referee crew impacts responses to spatial awareness. So too do the technical ability, tactical understanding and physical ability of individual players.

In essence, spatial awareness is about the relationship between Space and Pace. In this context spatial awareness becomes about learning to manipulate the game to your and your teams benefit.  Using spatial awareness in conjunction with the principles of play is what formations and tactics are all about.  When a player is able to consciously recognize how to create space for a teammate and use space created for himself by a teammate, intentionally manipulating the game becomes a real possibility.  

These relationships are simple and yet very complex all at once.  Bringing someone new to the game up to speed with a player who has several years experience can be a daunting task. The difference in understanding of spatial awareness between a seasoned player of club soccer and a recreational player can also be significant. When players of widely varying abilities are all on a single team it can prove difficult to find common ground. This where ideas about a team only being as strong as its weakest player take root.

This is the problem I am seeking to solve going forward. Spatial awareness in soccer is something that begins developing at the youngest of ages.  Simple ideas like boundaries and which half of the field is to be defended and which half has the goal to be scored in are spatial awareness.  When a player comes to the game later in their youth the theory of these simply spatial awareness concepts might be known yet the practicality of them never experienced.  Extend that train of thought to the differences in understanding of spatial awareness between a recreational player and a club player or even an entry level club player and an elite level club player. This s a recipe for frustration all around for both players and coaches alike.

In past seasons I have relied on older more experienced players to mentor younger or inexperienced players in practical settings. I've come to question this approach as results have been found to be wanting.  I have also used a classroom and written homework approach using soccer journals.  The two approaches in combination have been effective.  The issue has been in players being steadfast in their commitment to recording what they are learning in their journals.  I must assume responsibility for this as in the interest of players being able to write down their thoughts honestly about any and all things soccer I have deemed a measure of privacy to be important to the process. I am being forced to make daily writing assignments mandatory and checked by the coaches.

I am also going to include more handouts and more opportunities for visual learning experiences. This will include instructional videos and analysis of videos of practice and games.  A multi pronged approach to the situation.  This is not an ideal scenario, of course. It is however a necessary one.  I would rather spend time on the field than in the classroom but must also face the reality of the situation and adapt what I do accordingly to be as effective as possible in coaching my teams.  

 

Attacking is Timing

 

 

Defending is Disrupting Timing

 

 

 



Numerical Formations / Shape / Support

I have been involved in a rather lively debate about the 1-4-3-3 formation and its many variations.  To be honest, I instigated the debate by proclaiming the 1-4-3-3, the 1-4-2-3-1, the 1-4-1-4, and the 4-5-1 are all the same basic formation.

The 4-3-3 most often employs a triangle midfield with 1 defensive mid and two attacking mids or the inverse with 2 defensive mids and a lone attacking mid.  There is then a center forward and two wings.

The same is true in the 4-2-3-1 and the 4-1-4-1 and the 4-5-1.   The differences in these formations is mainly in how the wingers are deployed.

Our spring team ran all of the above.  Not always intentionally, lol.  We played to the strength of our players.

In my opinion, many people get too caught up in the numerical designations of a formation. 

As in the above example a 1-4-4-2 can easily morph into a 1-3-4-3, a 1-4-1-4 or even a 1-2-4-4 among other variations.

So, what's the big deal about numerical designations of formations? 

The numerical designation of a teams formation defines its defending shape. All the other variations can define a teams attacking shape. When defending a team needs to be disciplined. When attacking a team needs to be creative.  Two entirely different philosophies that require two very different attitudes about formations.

I recently watched a U17 youth match that saw both teams maintain their formational shape whether defending or attacking.  Two "blocks" of players "moving" up and down the pitch in sync with one another.  Most of the match was played in the middle third of the field.  It was a boringly ugly game of ping pong on grass with neither team threatening goal, let alone actually scoring.  From the coach's sideline calls of "keep your shape" and "hold your positions" could be heard. It was not unlike 1770's formational battles or WW I trench warfare.

These two teams obviously confused the term shape with the term support.  Support is a necessity for both defending and attacking.  Support on defense is defined by discipline whereas support in the attack is defined by creative based mobility.  They are entirely different from one another as is a teams shape when defending or attacking.

Team Shape

I took on more than I anticipated with this topic.  I could have, and perhaps should have, simplified my approach, but shape is not as simple as numerical formation and differs when attacking form defending and even in transition.  I suspect I will update this article after leaving it sit for a day or to.

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I was listening to a young parent / coach sharing her frustration with another parent about how her team would not stay spread out. "They get all bunched up!"   I could not stop myself from asking how old the team was. "First and second graders" came the reply. I said, "Ahh..."  waggled my forefinger upwards in the air and walked off. Really, what was there to say?

Spatial Awareness is a key consideration both in defining and maintaining team shape. U 6 players are going to struggle with this concept.  All the shouted instructions to "stay in your position" that rise up from both the team and parent sidelines are going to have little impact on what actually happens on the pitch at this age. And here's a secret... they almost certainly do more long term harm than they do short term good.

In today's writing we are going to take a look at developing, maintaining and utilizing team shape. While you are reading this article I would like you to keep in mind how the game is played at U6. How it is seen through the eyes of a 6 year old child even as my intended audience for this writing is coaches working with teenagers.

TEAM SHAPE

 

To begin with let us recognize that a team's shape will be predicated on the four phases of play in a game of soccer. The attacking phase and transitioning from attack to defending. The defending phase and transitioning from defending to attacking. A teams defensive shape will be different in each phase or at least it should be.

 

Our team from this last spring had a defensive shape of 4-2-3-1 and an attacking shape that was extremely fluid and hard to numerically define.  This was intentional and it worked very well for us.

 

Let's begin by looking at some of the components necessary to define and analyze team shape.

Spatial Awareness
Roles
Mobility
Communication
Technical skill
Pace of Play
Tactical Awareness
Game Situation

There is a tried and true saying in soccer that Space = Time. 

Defending: At five feet they look at their feet.  This is a simple coaching phrase meaning when a defender comes within five feet of the ball carrier the attackers head will go to the ball at his feet. Five feet is a rule of thumb. Depending on the skill of the ball carrier this distance might be smaller or larger.  The point is that when the ball carrier's eyes go to the ball, his range of vision is significantly smaller. 

Attacking:  If the ball carrier has space / time to play in, his teammates should open the field up even more for him.  If the ball carrier is under pressure, if his eyes must go to his feet, then his teammates must come to him. They must help their ball carrier by getting in his diminished vision and providing BIG passing angles for him.

Every position / player has a role to fill.  When duplication of one role occurs it means another role goes unfilled.  Also, when a role in not filled it stresses the rest of the team.

Defending:  A back who is caught too far up the field can cause the back line to collapse as the remaining backs must cover for him.  That one back out of position creates a domino effect.  A defender charged with slowing the opponents attack who dives in our stabs in an unsuccessful attempt to tackle the ball forces stresses the back line. The target player who does not work to cut the field in half and deny the change of fields through the opponents backs stresses his teammates as they attempt to regain and maintain defensive shape behind him.

In short, it is a defenses role to disrupt the rhythm and shape of an opponents attack but when defenders stray from their positional roles it is the defensive shape that suffers and the defending rhythm that is destroyed.

Attacking:  Wing midfielders who stray inside and duplicate center midfielders strain the teams ability to find and maintain attacking rhythm. They unnecessarily stress their own attack by shrinking the space their team has to play in.  When wing defenders are supposed to read the outside midfielders runs as cues for their own movement, but the outside midfielders are not present in their roles it throws the attack completely out of sync. 

Attacking soccer is all about rhythm and timing. When there occurs duplication of roles (too many attackers in a small area of the field)  and other roles are left unfilled it's a bit like stepping on your dancing partners toes. It throws the rhythm of the attacking dance all out of kilter and forces the attack to rely disproportionately on LUCK rather than on collective coordinated effort.

Ball Movement is Predicated on Player Movement.

Defending:  Defenders like predictability. So much so, one of the key coaching phrases in coaching defending calls to the pressure defender to take "force right (or left)" thusly making the ball carrier more predictable in his play.  Teams that attack in straight lines or a single channel are very predictable. Such direct play is far more easily defended. The defense easily retains its shape and plays from their comfort zone.

Attacking:  Teams that use the philosophy of "safe pass" to secure possession and mix target play with repeated switches of the field and occasional through balls is very difficult to defend as they force the defense to move both forward and backwards as well as side to side.  Purposeful player movement with advantageous ball movement can stress a defense to the point of creating seams through which to attack. 

Clear concise effective Communication

Defending: From the goalkeeper organizing the defense to cover or support defenders coordinating with the pressure defender effective communication is essential for quality defending.  I would add efficient communication to the list of qualities as well. There is nothing worse than a goalkeeper that constantly talks without passing quality information. We do not need a cheerleader in the goalkeeper role and we need the rest of the team to appreciate that when the goalkeeper does speak, he must be listened to. 

Attacking:  When a player receives the ball his eyes will be down to the ball.  Therefore his field of vision will be approximately 10 yards square.  His teammates must be his eyes for him and communicate information that will aid in his decision-making.  This can come in the form of "man on!" or calling for a specific type of pass to be made among other things.  Because of the urgency associated with being under pressure from a defender any communication must be
both clear and concise.

Techniques determine the plays and the plays determine the game.

Defending:  Deny, Delay, Destroy.  Understanding the cues for when to attempt a tackle is critical.  Utilizing bounce steps to take away momentum. Doubling a ball carrier when he faces his own goal. Maintaining pressure / cover (and balance).  Defending is about disciplined application of technique.

Attacking:  Proper execution of proper technique is a primary consideration when attacking. Preparing to play by positioning the body properly to most effectively employ the proper technique takes a lot of forethought.  Being in the passers vision before he even has possession of the ball is a technique that can greatly enhance the pace of play.

Pace of play is all about brain power.

Defending:  Having a plan for where on the pitch you wish to defend is a key consideration. Where will you set your line of confrontation?  Will you bunker in or will you try to pressure high on the pitch?  Will you press and or will you play delaying defense. How you choose to defend can impact the pace of play in the game.  How you seek to disrupt the opponents attacking rhythm can impact the pace of play.

Attacking:  Being able to control pace of play is the key to successful attacking.  Perhaps you choose to sit back in your half of the field to defend, then once the ball is won counter attack with pace.  Win the ball, safe pass to secure possession and then GO!  Or if you choose to build from the back you might play a more deliberate style before changing the tempo of the attack.   Regardless, pace of play is a brain power consideration far more than it is a physical speed of consideration.  Pace of play can be planned for and executed within a well designed system of play.

Tactical awareness is all about being a game watcher instead of being a ball watcher.

Defending:  While the pressure defender must have eyes on the ball and the support or cover defenders have a primary consideration of providing back up to the pressure defender, all off-the-ball defenders should be in and maintain back to goal "ball / you / man positioning.  When in this positioning defenders should be able to see both the ball and either the opponent they are charged with marking or any opponent that enters the zone or channel he is responsible for.

Attacking:  A game watcher will see space that can be utilized.  He will also be able to recognize which defender to attack with off-the-ball movement that he might move that defender to create space for teammates to take advantage of.  Tactical awareness on the attacking is all about manipulating the defense and the recognition of, creation of and utilization of space in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

How we choose to use team shape to impact the game through any of the above referenced components is determined by the game situation.

Defending:  Playing a delaying defense to slow the pace of play may be an advantageous proposition when your team is over matched or if they are playing with a lead.  Playing pressing style and pressuring high on the pitch might be the choice when needing a goal or if you believe you can stress an opponent from their normal comfort zone. Depending on the game situation you may choose to defend with more ... or less ... personnel.

Transitioning from Attacking to Defending:  Many teams today seek to press in an attempt to regain possession of the ball.  This basically entails pressuring the ball and having two support or cover players backing up the pressure defender.  That is a team shape within the teams defending shape.  The remaining defenders will be sprinting to regain the teams defensive shape or formational look behind the press.

Attacking:  Again, depending on the game situation you may withdraw attackers from the attack or throw more players into the attack depending on whether your team is in need of a goal or not.  I like to attack with as many players as possible and I like them to enter the attack from as diverse positioning as possible.  Even if we withdraw a forward into the defense I will still seek to push as many into the attack as possible.

Transitioning for defending to attracting:  When the ball is successfully won the winner of the ball may find himself under pressure via a press. The philosophy of safe pass is a team shape that helps secure possession of the ball and can be used to set the pace for the attack or pace of play.  This shape will morph based on what the receiver of the safe pass sees but will always have elements of depth, width, penetration and mobility.

In conclusion, soccer is a game of opposites.  While on the attack teams want to establish a rhythm and mix in change of direction with change of pace.  The attacking shape should be fluidly purposeful with lots of interchanging amongst players.  It stands to reason then that defenses seek to disrupt the attacks rhythm. To do so, a defense must stay organized with strong support of the pressure defender. The defensive shape, while not exactly rigid, must remain true to its numerical formation to operate at peak efficiency.  Team shape is not a constant or rigidly defined thing. Whether attacking or defending team shape is predicated on support around the ball.  The definition of support around the ball changes when attacking from when defending. Therefore, it will also look different in the transitioning phases. 

The Dutch Game

What we call The Dutch Game is a simple three team possession game with continuous play. A neutral player may be used.  1 v 1 v 1 + 1N or 3 v 1 is the simplest form of the game. With a squad of 18 it can be played 6 v 6 v 6 or 12 v 6.  The Dutch Game is typically used as a warm up activity and played in a grid sized appropriate for the players ages and abilities.  Everyone knows and uses some variations of this game.  What I will address today is some of the coaching points that can be made while using the game.

Pressure or Stress?

Whether attacking or defending the idea is to control the pace of play.  Modern defenses play a pressing style that seeks to speed of the decision making process of their opponents.  Modern attacking schemes are relying evermore on making a set zonal defense side to side while probing developing in and out of developing seams until a breakthrough to goal can be achieved. This type of attack applies pressure to the opponents defense.

My question to you, is pressuring the opponent enough to turn the tide in a contest?

Freedom within Structure

I recently interviewed for a coaching position and was asked to describe my coaching philosophy. 

I like to promote individual freedom within a team structure. 

That's the short answer minus all the details that go into making the process work successfully.  To list and define all the details of the process would be a daunting task.  So, of course, I will try to do just that. lol

Keep Your Shape vs. Crossing Lines

"Keep your shape" or utterances to that effect are common calls from coaches in youth soccer competitions. Most of the time, especially at younger ages, this implies staying in the teams formational shape; 1-4-3-3 or 1-4-4-2 as examples. In the older age groups the word shape becomes more synonymous with the word support.  Support (and balance) takes priority over formational shape as the latter becomes a bit more fluid.

Typically a formation will have three lines; backs, midfielders, forwards.  Dependent on how each line is employed there might be what we shall call "sub-lines" within each line.  For instance, in a 4-3-3 the midfield might be deployed in a triangle as 2 holding midfielders with an attacking midfielder in front of them.  The triangle shape might shift to one holding midfielder and two attacking midfielders but the players manning these positions stay with their "line."

The same is true of the back line where two center backs are often found flanked by two advanced wing backs.  In this case, the two advanced wing backs might appear to form a line with the holding midfielder(s), but their roles and responsibilities are still associated with the back line.  Similarly if two or more forwards are deployed one might be pushed forward as a target while another is slightly withdrawn.

"Stay in your position" is another call often heard at youth soccer contests.  It can mean the same thing as "keep your shape."  Often times when I watch youth soccer matches I see two teams in rigid formation moving up and down the pitch in synchronization. A picture of armies of the 1700's facing one another in rank and file across a battlefield comes to mind.

Now, I think shape or more specifically support is a critical element to team defending. The system employed behind the support strives to make an attack(er) predictable and therefore more easily defended.  This is sound soccer at any age or competition level.

If predictability of attack is a desired result of properly supported defending, then unpredictability is paramount to effective attacking.  This is where crossing lines comes into play.

In review, formations deploy 3 basic lines with possible sub-lines fielded within any or all lines.  Backs, midfielders, forwards.  When defending these lines define the teams formation.  All too often in the youth ranks they also define a teams attacking shape.  However, this makes the attack very predictable.

Crossing lines simply means a player moves from one line to or even better through another line.  The easiest way to depict this scenario is to picture a wing back moving up the field through the midfield line and into an attacking position abreast of the forward line.  The wing defender has crossed lines and therefore fundamentally changed the shape (or formation) that his team will attack in. If the responsibility for crossing lines from back to front in the formation / shape is shared amongst all backs this movement can prove to be unpredictable and extremely disruptive to the opponents maintaining their own shape or support system.

This movement is commonly defined as mobility, the fourth element to the game of soccer. In previous writings we have discussed the first three elements of the game of soccer; penetration, depth and width.  It is the mobility used to establish these elements that help define a teams attacking shape and the support within that shape.  More precisely it should be mobility between lines that defines a teams attacking shape and manipulates the defending shape of the opponent.

Crossing lines brings a fluidity to the game that rigid deployment in formation shape does not allow for.  In military terms it is akin to defending in a castle while an opponent uses speed and mobility to bypass the castle. In soccer terms, crossing lines adds another dimension to a teams ability to create numbers up situations to attack with. Think again of the wing defender. In front of him a midfielder engages a defender. The wing defender moves forward on the flank isolating that defender in a 2 v 1 situation.  Now the overlap combination passing sequence might be on or the defender might be set up to execute a wall pass / give and go sequence against. But the real value of mobility and crossing lines might be what is occurring on the backside of the opponents formation where your other wing defender might have freedom to run the flank all the way into the final third. Now, the opponents defense is stressed and under pressure of attack from both on-ball and off-the-ball threats on different fronts.

Crossing lines brings with it an element of danger when the ball is lost.  You will find teams that are adept at crossing lines when attacking filling their defensive shape from back to front regardless of originally assigned positions.  This is where pressing defenses come into play.  Upon losing the ball the nearest three defenders press to either win the ball back or slow the counter attack allowing teammates to reestablish shape behind the ball. Six seconds.  That is how long those pressing have to win the ball back. That is also how long teammates have to regain defensive shape behind the ball. 

In conclusion, one of the games within the game of soccer is the battle of Keeping your shape vs Crossing lines and the transitional phases of going from one to the other. 

Sun Tzu's Keys to Effective Soccer.

"Invincibility lies in the defense."   Today's translation is "Defense wins Championships."  If you doubt me look no further than the New England Patriots Super Bowl win.  It was a defensive stand at the goal line that won them the game.

"The possibility of victory lies in the attack."  Today's translation is "Offense wins games."  Look again to New England's Super Bowl win for confirmation as the Tom Brady offense made winning the game a possibility.

Now, let's address soccer.

"For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear;"  This has been very much on my mind as I have watched recent matches involving the USMNT. The team has played very direct soccer often utilizing the long ball in counter attacking to play in a forward.  The whole premise of the attack seems to be of a blitzkrieg mentality. 

This also applies to how Michael Bradley is being deployed.  Because of his incredible fitness level, Jurgeon Klinsman has chosen to play Bradley in an advanced attacking midfielder role.  It is not coincidence the USMNT defending has suffered without Bradley in his customary holding defensive mid role.

What I have also noticed is the gaps between the forward line and that of the rest of the team that occurs when the USMNT attacks in this manner. It's no secret the US back line has struggled mightily in recent matches. Sun Tzu's words ring clear here - the rear of the US formation is weakened by the direct dump and run play of its attack.

"should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van;"

The trendy formation for years was the 4-4-2.  The USWNT played a 4-4-2 against France this past weekend... and lost 0-2 to a talented French side. While the defense was solid except or a two minute span in the second half missing from the US play was the accustomed counter attacks and build ups to probing attacks that have defined USWNT soccer for years.

"should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left."   Remember the commentators for the USWNT match with France commenting how Carly Lloyd had been switched from the right to the left side of the formation? Ostensibly this was to strength the defense against France's Elodie Thomis who was giving the USA's Lori Chalupny fits.  In moving to strengthen the left side, the US weakened its attacking right side. 

Both our USMNT and USWNT have been caught in reactive modes to the perceived strengths of their opponents.  Yet, this is not entirely about playing to your own strengths.  Rather, this is about forcing your opponents to respect the possibility of attack coming from any point along the front.

If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.  Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks;"

This is what the USWNT succumbed to against France.  It is also what the USMNT has been battling in recent friendlies.  And, if you will remember, this is what I have written about concerning our Grand Lake United teams success last spring and summer.  One coach commented to me,  "We played you 3 times this season and watched you several more. Your team is impossible to scout.  It's a different player having a big game every time we watch. You generate goals differently every time we watch."

"numerical strength, from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us."

I also referenced playing a team in a tournament shortly after having faced them in a league match. Our foreign exchange student had wrecked their defense in scoring a hat trick and leading us to victory in the league game.  We knew he would be double teamed by the opponent in the tournament. So, I didn't even start Calo against them. We scored early and were up 2-0 before Calo ever took the field. I left the early goal scorers in the game when I sent Calo on.  Think of the conundrum facing the opponents at this point. 

It's not a great secret that successful soccer revolves around creating numbers up situations both when attacking and when defending. If you strengthen your ability to be numbers up in all phases of play, you can diminish an opponents ability to do so and chances are good the run of the game will be in your favor. 

Creating Numbers Up Situations.

We devote a lot of time on this site to creating situations that are advantageous to the team. A colleague refers to this as accumulating assets.  I told him I like that nomenclature and was stealing it to use with my programs. Hey, it's what we coaches do - borrow / steal from one another!  lol

The ball carrier engaging a defender to create a 2 v 1 situation against that defender with a teammate. The Cues for Combination Passing are based on this action. When defending we look to establish pressure on the ball and cover in the diagonally forward passing lanes as soon as possible, especially when the Cues for Pressing are present.

It is said, the best pass in soccer is one that successfully defeats multiple opponents - the more opposition players eliminated, the better.  It was with these ideas in mind that a former player asked if there was a type of pass I would consider to be the worst pass to make. 

Hmm... I had not thought about passing from this perspective, but one type of pass came immediately to mind.  The square pass, especially in our own half of the field and executed by backs.  A square pass that is intercepted immediately eliminates two of our players from the action.  The intercepted square pass is instant quick counter to goal.  In this context, a poorly executed square pass puts the opposition numbers up in our defending third.  Yikes!

Space and Pace

Space and Pace

Soccer is all about space and pace.

The amount of space available

dictates the pace of the attack.

Tactics are about manipulation of Space

Whenever two or more soccer coaches are gathered to talk about the nuances of the game talk invariably turns to formations, tactics and space. Formations are employed to accentuate certain and specific areas of space on the pitch that a team either wishes to deny to an opponent or utilize themselves to attack through. How a team manipulates space is its system of play. Specific tactical emphasis such as a pattern of play, particular combination play or purposefully channelling an attacker a certain direction serve to manipulate play towards or away from specific areas or space on the pitch.

In it's simplest form, when defending a team will want to deny space in front of the goal and when attacking will look to create space in front of the goal to be used only at the moment of striking a shot on goal. In a broader sense, manipulation of space must in each phase of the game and in each third of the field of play.

If a team wishes to attack directly they must preserve "negative space" between the opposing backs and their goal keeper until they are ready to play in that space. Target players playing in the seams between defending backs and defending midfielders are essential in keeping the defending backs high and negative space open while looking for vertical seams to attack through.

If a team is more about possessing the ball and building an attack, they will want forwards pushing the defending backs to create more space in front of them to possess the ball in. Possession teams are very much about changing the point of attack and forcing a defense to move laterally to create seems to attack through.

In summation, the coach needs to identify individual and collective strengths and weaknesses of his players. Then the coach must selection a formation that will accentuate strengths and cover weaknesses. Finally a decision needs to be made concerning space - how to deny space, how to create space and how to utilize space to his teams best advantage. This manipulation of space is what tactics are all about.

We need a new goalkeeper! Analyzing Goals.

Goalkeepers are the last line of defense. The lasting impression many will have when their team is scored upon is of the goalkeeper's failed attempt to prevent the score. Some will be supportive of the goalkeepers efforts and others will make comments like "He should've made that save!" or "We need a new goalkeeper!"

In the article I Learned Attacking Soccer from a Goalkeeper Coach I relate of learning the importance of analyzing goals from current Anderson College coach John Murphy. If we wish to prevent future goals we must learn from the goals we have allowed, and even those our team has scored. While it's easy to blame the goalkeeper as the last line of defense I have fond that less than 10% of high school goals scored can be solely attributed to goalkeeper error.

In reviewing video of a recent high school match it occurred to me the goals one team allowed were ideal to illustrate that goals often originate from far out on the pitch. There usually exists a chain of events that lead up to that heart dropping moment when the ball gets by the goalkeeper. The idea here is not to transfer blame from the goalkeeper to a field player, but to demonstrate that there is a shared responsibility.

We will need to set the background in order to develop as complete an understanding as possible. The defending team in this case plays a 1-4-3-3 formation with a well defined attacking system. It's defensive system is flawed both it construct and, of course, in execution. They employ a zonal back 4 with a holding mid and two attacking mids manning the midfield triangle. Three forwards with the wing forwards responsible for weak side width on defense.

GK = Goalkeeper
RB = Right Back
RCB = Right Center Back
LCB = Left Center Back
LB = Left Back
HM = Holding Midfielder
AM = Attacking Midfielder
RW = Right Wing Forward
CF = Center Forward
LW = Left Wing Forward

Goal #1

This goal is scored off a break away but actually originates from action off an opposition goal kick.

The opposing GK played a goal kick into a gusting wind of 15-20 mph. A wind of this strength indicates that a short goal kick is likely to occur. It is quite possible the ball might be blown back towards the GK if played high enough that the wind catches it. Therefore the defending teams forwards must not only guard against a short goal kick but also be prepared to play the anticipation area on a longer kick that will be played by their midfield or back line teammates.

In this case, the teams HM won a flighted ball with a leaping header playing the ball strongly back up the field. This is where the goal originates. There are only 3 opposing players in the anticipation area. Neither the AM's, or any of the three forwards are present to play their teammates header

Naturally an opponent won the ball and immediately made a long ground service through the defense. The best pass in soccer is one that successfully defeats as many opponents as possible. In this instance the pass defeated seven players -both AM's, the HM and the entire back line.

Film shows no pressure on the passer and both the LCB and RCB advanced 7-10 yards out of position. The pass went through the center channels to an opposing forward bending off a flat run behind the LCB and RCB.

It is important to note at this time that the RCB was not only advanced but also in the right outside channel. The LCB was even further advanced and in the right center channel. The teams LB was in the left center channel. This is an extremely odd deployment given the ball has been located located centrally in the teams atacking third. Only the teams RB appears to have been positioned properly and his role was being duplicated by the RCB.

It is also important to note that with no pressure on the ball carrier / passer the cue for the backs is to "retreat" in order to deny negative space between the backs and their GK. While two of the tactical cues for pressing were technically present - 50/50 ball and an opponent restart - it was within the purview of the midfielders to press, not the backs.

Because the RCB was out of position both vertically and horizontally his pursuit angle to the play actually cut off the pursuit of the RB effectively eliminating the RB from the play. And because the LB was positioned in the left central channel his pursuit angle was much sharper than it should have been effectively eliminating himself from the play. As the opposing forward had a 10 yard head start on the RCB and LCB and was noticeably faster than either of them this was essentially a 1 v GK situation beginning 45 yards out from goal.

With the ball 45 yards from goal and on the attackers foot, the GK's role of sweeper / keeper was effectively eliminated. His only choice was to give ground and establish himself inside the penalty area. The attackers next touch pushed the ball 20 yards forward for him to run onto. This is the touch that the GK needed to cue on. The ball would next be touched at a distance of 25 yards from goal. The attackers first touch essentially resulted in a 50 / 50 ball to be contested between the goalkeeper and the attacker.

Unfortunately the GK had retreated all the way to inside the goal area. From this position he could not challenge for the 50 / 50 ball created by the attackers first touch. When the ball is off the attackers foot, the GK must take ground and close down the distance between himself and the attacker at a pace that matches the attacker pace. The GK had retreated himself out of position to do this.

One more small touch by the attacker put the ball inside the penalty area and the next touch found side netting at the back post from a distance of 16 yards. The goalkeeper remained 3 yards off the line and dove laterally in an attempt to make the save. Even with an properly executed diagonally forward collapse dive he may not have been able to make the save from that near his own goal line.

From this analysis it should be clear the goal allowed was because of total team breakdown.

1) The forwards did not play the anticipation zone nor did any of them pressure the opponent who would make the through pass.

2) The AM's did not play the anticipation area or support in behind the HM. They also did not pressure the opponent who would make the through pass.

3) The center backs were far too aggressive in their advanced position and completely missed the cue for early retreat. Instead of denying or shrinking the negative space between them and their GK, they actually aided the opponents by creating more space behind them for the opponents to play into and utilize against them.

4) The LB was out of position in the central channel and effectively eliminated himself from the play due to having too sharpe of a pursuit angle to run down the break away.

5) The RB. although positioned properly might have had the best chance to prevent the break away had he not read the cue for early treat correctly and had been improperly positioned inside behind the advanced RCB.

6) The GK completely misread the cues and failed to challenge the 50/50 ball created by the attacker breaking through. In missing this play he also eliminated any chance to "come out and close down the angles"  as the attacker shot early from near the top of the penalty area. Lastly he dove laterally and again missed the opportunity to cut the angles on the shot.

Quite literally, all 11 players on the defending side played a role in this goal being scored against their team. A complete and total team breakdown on a play that originated 114 yards from their own goal.

Attacking and Defending

 

It's  ALL about the first 3 steps.

 

Being disciplined to SPRINT

 

each and every time

 

when transitioning from one to the other.