Another tryout season is fast upon us! There are clubs that are asking for a 10 month committment from high school aged players and have drawn their rosters from a select limited pool of players. But for most, the process is just getting underway as the current Spring season is winding down and the current seasonal year is concluding.
Yesterday we took a look at the tryout process in general. I presented it in a fiction and fact format that touched on some of the misconceptions often present in the process. Today we will narrow the focus to what parents and players should be aware of and present it in questions that should be asked form. To begin with parents need to know that soccer teams are part of a buyers market - that is, teams need players even moreso than players need teams to play on. This allows parents and players to choose the right club and team to fit their needs. It is important to note that Ohio High School Athletic Associations rules and regulations play into this dynamic as well as only 5 players from a given high school program may play together on the same club team before June 1st of each year.
Showing posts with label goalkeeping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goalkeeping. Show all posts
Saturday
Fear has two Meanings
FEAR has two meanings
1) Forget Everything And Run
or
2) Face Everything And Rise
The choice is yours!
Warming Up the Goalkeeper III
Stretching with
the ball should be common sense. We want the goalkeeper to be comfortable
handling the ball is a variety of circumstances and positions. Stretching
provides a great opportunity to continue handling exercises. Continue to stress the toes of both feet being pointed in teh same direction and down the field whenever possible during these stretches. We must develop muscle memory with this.
Three
repetitions.
Hold for a count
of 10
- Toe touches holding the ball in two hands
- Right over left
- Left over right
- Lunges holding ball in two hands
- Right foot forward
- Right foot diagonally
forward
- Right lateral
- Left foot forward
- Left foot diagonally
forward
- Left lateral
- Trunk twists
- can combine bouncing
ball on one side and catching it on other
- Ball over head
- Lean left
- Lean right
- Hurdlers stretch
- hold ball above toes
- On knees
- roll ball forward using both
hands until fully extended then back.
-
Prone position
-
extend arms and raise torso, ball overhead.
-
On knees
-
ball at feet/butt and lean over backwards.
-
Sit ups with partner
-
catch ball on way down
-
toss ball to server on way up.
-
catch with both hands
-
catch with left hand
-
catch with right hand
-
Jog
- The distance
varies depending on time of season, when last game was played and when next
game is.
Warming up the Goalkeeper II
I utilize a
footwork grid to warm the legs up before stretching. Begin at an easy relaxed
pace. The final time through should be at approximately 90% of full speed. The
goal keeper should have broken a sweat by the time we finish with the last
repetition of this exercise.
Warming up the Goalkeeper
Warming up the goalkeeper.
Step 1
Ball familiarity is the first thing to do every practice. Many of
the exercises employed in this phase are taken from my experiences in playing
and coaching basketball as they translate well to goal keeping.
I ask GK'ers to have both feet pointed in the same direction for each of these exercises. In fact, I demand it. This is one of the foundational things we do throughout the warmup. It will be explained in greater depth as we move through the process of warming up the GK'er.
10 repetitions
each
- Figure 8
- Around both legs together in each
direction
- Around the waist in both
directions
- Around the head in both directions
- Speed drill up and down the body
- Machine gun – One hand front, one
hand back between the legs
- Popcorn - 2 hands front to 2 hands
back between the legs
For variety I
sometimes add in
- Walking figure 8
- High ball, lead with each leg with
“KEEPER!”call.
Can be done in pairs with GK's moving towards one another and collecting the ball side by side to add passive pressure
Keeper Calls
C.B.A. Goalkeeping
Keep it simple.
Keep it short.
Be clear, be loud and be forceful.
Every call you make must be a command and must convey
confidence.
AWAY! – This lets everyone know that the GK is not coming for the ball.
WALL! TWO! - GK wants a wall with two defenders in it.
LEFT! – Tells the defenders in the wall to position to their left..
RIGHT!
– Tells the defenders in the wall to position to their right.
DROP! - Demands a defender drop the ball back to the GK to relieve pressure.
GIVE! - Tells defenders to give ground to deny "negative" space behind them and in front of GK.
FORCE
OUT! – Tells the defender to keep the ball carrier outside.
CLEAR! – Tells teammates to clear the ball.
GAME! or GAME ON! – Informs teammates the distribution is being made.
Thursday
The Process
The process of reaching our goals takes place every day.
The process is taking place when working on your own,
in every practice and during every game.
The process is taking place at every meal
and in the amount of rest we get each night.
We cannot allow ourselves
to become bored with the process.
Ultimately the quality of our performance,
our ability to achieve the goals we have set,
will be determined by the attention paid to
the details within the process.
The process is taking place when working on your own,
in every practice and during every game.
The process is taking place at every meal
and in the amount of rest we get each night.
We cannot allow ourselves
to become bored with the process.
Ultimately the quality of our performance,
our ability to achieve the goals we have set,
will be determined by the attention paid to
the details within the process.
Sunday
Conversion Rates
In baseball, basketball, football and other team sports there are established success / failure rates that define the game and those who play it. In baseball a Batting Average of .300 or 3 hits in 10 at bats establishes one as a great hitter or an Earned Run Average of 3.00 per nine innings establishes one as a great pitcher. In basketball converting on 50% of field goal attempts or 33% of 3 pt field goal attempts are standard measures of success / failure. In football averaging 5 yards per carry is an accepted measure of success for a running back.
What about success / fail rates in soccer?
I had once been told that converting 1 of every 10 shots on goal was an acceptable rate of conversion in soccer. A shot on goal being defined by the NCAA Soccer Statisticians Manual as being a shot on net (see Section 3, Article 3). An article at Soccer Analysts makes a case for a rate of 10.8% or one goal in every 9.25 shots on goal with a median of 1 goal in every 11 shots in the 4 professional European leagues they tracked. So, 1 goal from every 10 shots on goal wasn't a bad number.
Now, if we refer back to the definition of a shot on goal we discover that "results of a shot on goal must be either a save by the goalkeeper or defending team or a goal by the attacking team. This would indicate the save percentage for goalkeepers should be fairly high and if we check the MLS statistics we find typical save percentages for starting goalkeepers consistently in the low 70's percentile range.
I have never quite bought into the 10% conversion rate for scoring goals. In the interests of consistency and fairness I took a look at MLS conversion rates and discovered the top goalscorers are actually converting at a far higher rate than 10%. In 2012 leading goal scorer Chris Wondolowski converted on 27 of 55 SOG or an eye opening 49% conversion rate. The league conversion rate was 29.8% or nearly 3 of every 10 SOG resulting in a goal scored.
It would seem logical to look at what percentage of "shots" are actually "shots on goal". This number is actually quite low at 25.6% for the 2012 MLS season or a little better than 1 of every 4 shots taken are actually shots on goal. If we look at the conversion rate of goals in the context of total shots taken the number drops all the way to 7.6% which is a little worse than the 1 in 10 number originally quoted to me.
What does it all mean?
I am reminded of hockey great Wayne Gretzky's quote, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
Quite simply, one must shoot if one wishes to score, but accuracy of shooting (shots on goal) is extremely important as the conversion rates referenced above attest to. The more shots taken that a player or team can put on goal the better the chances are for scoring. Common sense stuff, correct?
What about success / fail rates in soccer?
I had once been told that converting 1 of every 10 shots on goal was an acceptable rate of conversion in soccer. A shot on goal being defined by the NCAA Soccer Statisticians Manual as being a shot on net (see Section 3, Article 3). An article at Soccer Analysts makes a case for a rate of 10.8% or one goal in every 9.25 shots on goal with a median of 1 goal in every 11 shots in the 4 professional European leagues they tracked. So, 1 goal from every 10 shots on goal wasn't a bad number.
Now, if we refer back to the definition of a shot on goal we discover that "results of a shot on goal must be either a save by the goalkeeper or defending team or a goal by the attacking team. This would indicate the save percentage for goalkeepers should be fairly high and if we check the MLS statistics we find typical save percentages for starting goalkeepers consistently in the low 70's percentile range.
I have never quite bought into the 10% conversion rate for scoring goals. In the interests of consistency and fairness I took a look at MLS conversion rates and discovered the top goalscorers are actually converting at a far higher rate than 10%. In 2012 leading goal scorer Chris Wondolowski converted on 27 of 55 SOG or an eye opening 49% conversion rate. The league conversion rate was 29.8% or nearly 3 of every 10 SOG resulting in a goal scored.
It would seem logical to look at what percentage of "shots" are actually "shots on goal". This number is actually quite low at 25.6% for the 2012 MLS season or a little better than 1 of every 4 shots taken are actually shots on goal. If we look at the conversion rate of goals in the context of total shots taken the number drops all the way to 7.6% which is a little worse than the 1 in 10 number originally quoted to me.
What does it all mean?
I am reminded of hockey great Wayne Gretzky's quote, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
Quite simply, one must shoot if one wishes to score, but accuracy of shooting (shots on goal) is extremely important as the conversion rates referenced above attest to. The more shots taken that a player or team can put on goal the better the chances are for scoring. Common sense stuff, correct?
Key Considerations for Alignment and System of Play
Key Considerations for Formational Alignment and System of Play
1) If the other team cannot score, they cannot win.
· We need to be secure defensively
·
The alignment of players within the defensive
system of play must consider the attacking abilities of each player as well
·
Line of confrontation – where do we wish to win
the ball?
·
Where do we want to funnel the opponent / where
do we wish opponent’s shots to originate from?
·
What is the strength of our goalkeeper? What
type of shots does he handle best? How can we best funnel the opponents attack
to our goalkeepers strengths?
·
How can we best funnel the opponents attack to
best create the space we want to use in transition and attack? Can we play 3 to
4 steps ahead defensively to set up our transition to the attack?
2) If we cannot
score, we cannot win.
· Identify the players with the best attacking
skills and finishing ability
· Identify the players that form the best
attacking combinations
· What space must we open up for the best
attackers / combinations of attackers to play in?
·
How do we best position the best attackers /
combinations of attackers defensively to move them as quickly as possible into the
space from which they can best utilize their attacking abilities?
· We must recognize that variety of attack comes
from not establishing a single pattern of play – that how we attack down the
left flank might differ significantly from how we attack down the right flank
and that how we attack through the middle should be a constant variable both
player based and availability dictated.
3) Rate each player on the team based on individual strength
and weakness.
·
Determine overall strength of the team and
overall weakness of the team.
·
How can we best play to our strengths?
·
How can we best limit the opponent’s ability to
expose our weakness?
I'm taking on Hope Solo.
I have refrained from commenting on Hope Solo's domestic violence case because I prefer to concentrate on the game itself and how players perform in the game. Unfortunately off the field issues do intrude at times.
For the record, I am not a Hope Solo fan.
She has had more "indiscretions" and second chances than most anyone would be allowed because of her talent as a goalkeeper. She abuses her standing as a member of the USWNT and the gift of being able to earn her living playing soccer. Let's not forget her teammates kicked her off the 2007 World Cup team. Or that she appeared on the Today Show drunk as a representative of the US 2008 Olympic Gold Medal team. Or that she has thrown multiple teammates under the proverbial bus over the years with denigrating comments about them. Now she has been accused of Domestic Violence against her half-sister and a nephew.
What Hope Solo has done makes headlines in men's sports but is largely ignored because she is a woman soccer player.
Well, here is the indisputable fact, Hope Solo has a problem. There exists a trend of increasingly disturbing "indiscretions" and it's time she is held to the same standards society is demanding male athletes be held to. Hope Solo should be suspended from all professional and national team play until her case is resolved.
For all the outcry about Ray Rice and Greg Hardy nothing much has been said about Hope Solo. Does society really feel woman on woman violence is different than man on woman violence? And we must not forget the accusations against Solo also include assault on her 17 year old nephew.
Just as the NFL is striving to get it right, FIFA, US Soccer, the NWSL and the Seattle Reign need to strive to get this right in Hope Solo's case as well. There are no acceptable excuses that can be made for Hope Solo's alleged behavior. She must be dealt with swiftly in an appropriate manner. The organizing bodies of soccer are already tardy in dealing with the domestic abuses charges. How much further does Solo's negative behavior have to escalate before the soccer authorities take notice.
Enough is enough.
U.S. Soccer continues to make the WRONG call on Hope Solo
For the record, I am not a Hope Solo fan.
She has had more "indiscretions" and second chances than most anyone would be allowed because of her talent as a goalkeeper. She abuses her standing as a member of the USWNT and the gift of being able to earn her living playing soccer. Let's not forget her teammates kicked her off the 2007 World Cup team. Or that she appeared on the Today Show drunk as a representative of the US 2008 Olympic Gold Medal team. Or that she has thrown multiple teammates under the proverbial bus over the years with denigrating comments about them. Now she has been accused of Domestic Violence against her half-sister and a nephew.
What Hope Solo has done makes headlines in men's sports but is largely ignored because she is a woman soccer player.
Well, here is the indisputable fact, Hope Solo has a problem. There exists a trend of increasingly disturbing "indiscretions" and it's time she is held to the same standards society is demanding male athletes be held to. Hope Solo should be suspended from all professional and national team play until her case is resolved.
For all the outcry about Ray Rice and Greg Hardy nothing much has been said about Hope Solo. Does society really feel woman on woman violence is different than man on woman violence? And we must not forget the accusations against Solo also include assault on her 17 year old nephew.
Just as the NFL is striving to get it right, FIFA, US Soccer, the NWSL and the Seattle Reign need to strive to get this right in Hope Solo's case as well. There are no acceptable excuses that can be made for Hope Solo's alleged behavior. She must be dealt with swiftly in an appropriate manner. The organizing bodies of soccer are already tardy in dealing with the domestic abuses charges. How much further does Solo's negative behavior have to escalate before the soccer authorities take notice.
Enough is enough.
U.S. Soccer continues to make the WRONG call on Hope Solo
Friday
You're a much better coach than you used to be.
I recently ran into someone I coached back in the day. He's been reading this blog and has arrived at the conclusion I am a much better coach than when I coached him.
For goodness sakes, I should hope so!
My first experience as a soccer coach was in 1993. I knew next to nothing but was put in charge of a group of 5 year olds. Among that group were some boys who went on to become very good high school athletes. One in particular was David Monteleone. He was the best player in the area and scored goals at will for that team. We went undefeated and my soccer coaching star shone brightly.
Yeah, right.
I still knew next to nothing about the sport of soccer. I did recognize the need to learn more about it though and so began a process of accumulating knowledge about the beautiful game. Today, I quite literally have hundreds of DVD's, books, coaching manuals, and materials saved from over 20 coaching courses and countless coaching clinics, symposiums and presentations.
This process began by going to the local bookstore and buying anything and everything I could find on the sport. Some were an absolute waste of good money. Others were most beneficial. Three of my all-time favorite books on the subject are The Complete Book of Coaching Youth Soccer, the NSCAA's Coaching Soccer and Zonal Defending: The Flat Back Four. These were among the first books I purchased on soccer. I look back upon them as being the beginnings of my foundation of soccer knowledge.
Still, it wasn't until I began observing the local high school team that pieces began falling cohesively in place. And the process did not truly gain momentum until I was offered the opportunity to attend their team camp conducted by Mr. Graham Ramsay. It wasn't long before I accepted a position as an assistant coach with that high school team and was put in charge of goalkeepers.
Goalkeepers?
Yikes!
I new next to nothing about goalkeeping. Back to the bookstore and the emerging Internet in search of knowledge about the art of goalkeeping. A stroke of blind luck saw me in my first ever coaching course, the old State Level NSCAA Goalkeeping I Course held in Columbus, Ohio and conducted by legendary goalkeepers Tony Waiters, Tony DiCicco and an up and coming star by the name of John Murphy. They lit the fire and my passion that has carried me ever since.
Still, as a high school goalkeeper coach I had a steep learning curve. I had to work at it and it wasn't always smooth sailing. By continuing with and completing all the NSCAA goalkeeping courses, buying virtually every book and DVD about goalkeeping I could find and learning to analyze (Thanks to John Murphy!) goalkeeping play I became better over the course of time.
It was while working in this capacity that I had driven home to me how little I still knew about soccer in general. Yes, I was becoming a good goalkeeping coach, but there was still so much to learn and especially about the game in general. One lasting memory I have is of a coaches meeting where we were discussing how to penetrate our biggest rivals defense. They played a diamond stopper / sweeper man marking system and did so really well. It was the strategizing that went on that day that brought new light to my inadequacies as a coach. Not that the other coaches were so far ahead of me and talking over my head. No, it was the obvious absence of knowledge in that room of how to deal with the opponents defense that woke me to the fact I had so much more to learn.
Looking back on that day now, I wish I knew then what I know now.
And that's the point.
No, Brian, I am not the same coach I was back in 1993. I am not the same coach I was when I first began coaching high school goalkeepers back in 2001. I am not even the same coach I was last spring in club soccer. I continue to seek knowledge. I continue to evolve. I am getting better at coaching soccer each and every day because I continue to pursue and share knowledge and insights about the beautiful game.
For goodness sakes, I should hope so!
My first experience as a soccer coach was in 1993. I knew next to nothing but was put in charge of a group of 5 year olds. Among that group were some boys who went on to become very good high school athletes. One in particular was David Monteleone. He was the best player in the area and scored goals at will for that team. We went undefeated and my soccer coaching star shone brightly.
Yeah, right.
I still knew next to nothing about the sport of soccer. I did recognize the need to learn more about it though and so began a process of accumulating knowledge about the beautiful game. Today, I quite literally have hundreds of DVD's, books, coaching manuals, and materials saved from over 20 coaching courses and countless coaching clinics, symposiums and presentations.
This process began by going to the local bookstore and buying anything and everything I could find on the sport. Some were an absolute waste of good money. Others were most beneficial. Three of my all-time favorite books on the subject are The Complete Book of Coaching Youth Soccer, the NSCAA's Coaching Soccer and Zonal Defending: The Flat Back Four. These were among the first books I purchased on soccer. I look back upon them as being the beginnings of my foundation of soccer knowledge.
Still, it wasn't until I began observing the local high school team that pieces began falling cohesively in place. And the process did not truly gain momentum until I was offered the opportunity to attend their team camp conducted by Mr. Graham Ramsay. It wasn't long before I accepted a position as an assistant coach with that high school team and was put in charge of goalkeepers.
Goalkeepers?
Yikes!
I new next to nothing about goalkeeping. Back to the bookstore and the emerging Internet in search of knowledge about the art of goalkeeping. A stroke of blind luck saw me in my first ever coaching course, the old State Level NSCAA Goalkeeping I Course held in Columbus, Ohio and conducted by legendary goalkeepers Tony Waiters, Tony DiCicco and an up and coming star by the name of John Murphy. They lit the fire and my passion that has carried me ever since.
Still, as a high school goalkeeper coach I had a steep learning curve. I had to work at it and it wasn't always smooth sailing. By continuing with and completing all the NSCAA goalkeeping courses, buying virtually every book and DVD about goalkeeping I could find and learning to analyze (Thanks to John Murphy!) goalkeeping play I became better over the course of time.
It was while working in this capacity that I had driven home to me how little I still knew about soccer in general. Yes, I was becoming a good goalkeeping coach, but there was still so much to learn and especially about the game in general. One lasting memory I have is of a coaches meeting where we were discussing how to penetrate our biggest rivals defense. They played a diamond stopper / sweeper man marking system and did so really well. It was the strategizing that went on that day that brought new light to my inadequacies as a coach. Not that the other coaches were so far ahead of me and talking over my head. No, it was the obvious absence of knowledge in that room of how to deal with the opponents defense that woke me to the fact I had so much more to learn.
Looking back on that day now, I wish I knew then what I know now.
And that's the point.
No, Brian, I am not the same coach I was back in 1993. I am not the same coach I was when I first began coaching high school goalkeepers back in 2001. I am not even the same coach I was last spring in club soccer. I continue to seek knowledge. I continue to evolve. I am getting better at coaching soccer each and every day because I continue to pursue and share knowledge and insights about the beautiful game.
The Soccer Goalkeeper.
Law # 3
A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper.
The soccer goalkeeper is only position on the team allowed to use his hands to play the ball during active play on the pitch. This makes the position a highly specialized one and demands specialized training. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper position is also the most ignored position by most coaches when it comes to training players.
I spend nearly every day during the high school soccer season watching matches. If it is a Saturday, I may take in multiple matches. I am continually amazed by the number of goalkeepers I see warming up without the assistance of a goalkeeping coach or any coach at all for that matter. And even when a coach is present to help the goalkeeper warm up many of the exercises I see goalkeepers performing are so fundamentally wrong I do think to myself it might be better if the goalkeeper were left to his own devices.
One of the basic truths to goalkeeping is the fact the feet get the hands to the ball yet so few goalkeepers have footwork exercises as part of their warm up. It's mind boggling to me.
The goalkeeper may use his hands to stop shots and for distributions. These are different ways for playing the ball than any other player has, yet the goalkeepers always seem to warm up like their teammates do. I rarely see goalkeeper specific stretching. Even rarer re warm ups designed to prepare the hands for playing the position.
It's important to think of these things in the context of the goalkeeper being the last line of defense. Shouldn't this player receive special attention in training and pre-match warm ups? That would be the prudent, the intelligent course of action, would it not?
The goalkeeper is also the first attacker. This makes goalkeeper distributions extremely important. The goalkeeper may use his hands to distribute the ball. There are proper technical ways to roll and throw the ball. Should these be part of a goalkeepers pre-match warm up routine? They must certainly should be, but in watching high school matches this fall I have come to the sad realization that in many instances proper technique for goalkeeper distributions are not even a part of goalkeeper training for many.
So, if the goalkeeper is not getting specialized training in the two most important facets of their game - footwork and handling the ball - can we hold any expectation that they are receiving proper instruction on the more technical aspects of playing the position? Does your goalkeeper know the proper technique for a collapse dive and does he practice it on a daily basis? Is this a part of his pre-match warm up?
Does your goalkeeper know the proper techniques and tactics for challenging break-aways? Let me phrase this one a bit differently for you. Did you know that goalkeepers have died on the pitch due to improperly contesting a break-away? Did that get your attention? Yes, it is true. I have video showing the instantaneous death of a goalkeeper in a match due to his having utilized improper technique in challenging a break-away.
If my child were a goalkeeper, I would want to know that (s)he was receiving the best and fullest training available. Yet in most cases youth and high school goalkeepers receive little if any actual training and what they do receive is often not well thought out, planned or executed properly. If that doesn't catch your attention as a parent, it should.
The goalkeeper should receive a minimum of 45 minutes of specialized training per session and at least 1/2 hour of specialized pre-match warm up. If your goalkeeper is not receiving this time devoted solely to him, the coach assigned to goalkeepers is being negligent to his duty and responsibility as a goalkeeper coach. That is provided your team actually has a goalkeeper coach.
And a goalkeeper coach is very much like a goalkeeper. Both must possess a passion for the position. Coaches, parents and goalkeepers, take a look at your daily training and pre-match preparations. Keep in mind that failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail. Is your teams goalkeeper, is your son or daughter receiving proper attention to the details of the goalkeeping process? If not, things must change for both performance and safety's sake.
A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than eleven players, one of whom is the goalkeeper.
The soccer goalkeeper is only position on the team allowed to use his hands to play the ball during active play on the pitch. This makes the position a highly specialized one and demands specialized training. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper position is also the most ignored position by most coaches when it comes to training players.
I spend nearly every day during the high school soccer season watching matches. If it is a Saturday, I may take in multiple matches. I am continually amazed by the number of goalkeepers I see warming up without the assistance of a goalkeeping coach or any coach at all for that matter. And even when a coach is present to help the goalkeeper warm up many of the exercises I see goalkeepers performing are so fundamentally wrong I do think to myself it might be better if the goalkeeper were left to his own devices.
One of the basic truths to goalkeeping is the fact the feet get the hands to the ball yet so few goalkeepers have footwork exercises as part of their warm up. It's mind boggling to me.
The goalkeeper may use his hands to stop shots and for distributions. These are different ways for playing the ball than any other player has, yet the goalkeepers always seem to warm up like their teammates do. I rarely see goalkeeper specific stretching. Even rarer re warm ups designed to prepare the hands for playing the position.
It's important to think of these things in the context of the goalkeeper being the last line of defense. Shouldn't this player receive special attention in training and pre-match warm ups? That would be the prudent, the intelligent course of action, would it not?
The goalkeeper is also the first attacker. This makes goalkeeper distributions extremely important. The goalkeeper may use his hands to distribute the ball. There are proper technical ways to roll and throw the ball. Should these be part of a goalkeepers pre-match warm up routine? They must certainly should be, but in watching high school matches this fall I have come to the sad realization that in many instances proper technique for goalkeeper distributions are not even a part of goalkeeper training for many.
So, if the goalkeeper is not getting specialized training in the two most important facets of their game - footwork and handling the ball - can we hold any expectation that they are receiving proper instruction on the more technical aspects of playing the position? Does your goalkeeper know the proper technique for a collapse dive and does he practice it on a daily basis? Is this a part of his pre-match warm up?
Does your goalkeeper know the proper techniques and tactics for challenging break-aways? Let me phrase this one a bit differently for you. Did you know that goalkeepers have died on the pitch due to improperly contesting a break-away? Did that get your attention? Yes, it is true. I have video showing the instantaneous death of a goalkeeper in a match due to his having utilized improper technique in challenging a break-away.
If my child were a goalkeeper, I would want to know that (s)he was receiving the best and fullest training available. Yet in most cases youth and high school goalkeepers receive little if any actual training and what they do receive is often not well thought out, planned or executed properly. If that doesn't catch your attention as a parent, it should.
The goalkeeper should receive a minimum of 45 minutes of specialized training per session and at least 1/2 hour of specialized pre-match warm up. If your goalkeeper is not receiving this time devoted solely to him, the coach assigned to goalkeepers is being negligent to his duty and responsibility as a goalkeeper coach. That is provided your team actually has a goalkeeper coach.
And a goalkeeper coach is very much like a goalkeeper. Both must possess a passion for the position. Coaches, parents and goalkeepers, take a look at your daily training and pre-match preparations. Keep in mind that failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail. Is your teams goalkeeper, is your son or daughter receiving proper attention to the details of the goalkeeping process? If not, things must change for both performance and safety's sake.
I learned attacking soccer from a goalkeeping coach.
One of the first coaching courses I took was the old NSCAA State Level Goalkeeping course. I was extremely fortunate to have Tony Waiters, Tony DiCicco and a young man named John Murphy as the instructors for this course. Tony Waiters and Tony DiCicco were each stars in their own right before becoming clinicians and I thoroughly enjoyed their presentations and learned so much from each of them about the fundamentals and some of the nuances of goalkeeping, but it was John Murphy who stole the show, in my opinion.
Before becoming the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's first Director of Goalkeeping, Tony Waiters had a long and distinguished playing career in England before turning to coaching / managing. He coached Team Canada in the '84 Olympics and '86 World Cup. Waiters is the founder of World of Soccer which led to Total Player Development which in turn spawned Byte Size Coaching.
Tony DiCicco is probably best known as the coach of the United States Women's National Team compiling an impressive record of 103-8-8. A lesser known aspect of his career is he started as the USWNT and Men's Under 20 National Team goalkeeper coach before getting the head women's job. In 1982 DiCicco founded Soccer Plus Goalkeeper School. In 2006 he succeeded Waiters as Director of the Goalkeeper Institute for the NSCAA.
John Murphy has coached in the college ranks and is currently at Anderson College. At the time of the coaching course I took he was the goalkeeper coach for the New England Revolution and soon to become goalkeeper coach of the Columbus Crew. Murphy has also coached Livingston of the Scottish First Division and in doing so became the first American to coach British professional soccer. Murphy remains on the National Staff for the NSCAA.
So, yeah, I was not exaggerating when I stated I was extremely fortunate to be a member of that particular goalkeeping course. I was also not kidding when I stated John Murphy stole the show. The one point Murphy made and illustrated for us in both film sessions and on-field work was the fact that to be a good goalkeeper you must understand attacking soccer. In the film sessions Murphy broke down goals allowed by tracing them to their point of origin out on the pitch. More often than not he could trace a goal to a specific breakdown 30, 40 or even 50+ yards out on the pitch.... but he didn't just focus on the defensive break down. No, Murphy was interested in what the attacker(s) had done to create or force the break down. Then he would look for, define and detail what defenders could have done differently to recover position preventing a cross or shot from being taken. Murphy would then show us film of defenders and goalkeepers making the correct plays in similar situations.
The bottom line for me was coming out of that course with improved knowledge about goalkeeping and a vast appreciation for becoming a student of the art of goalkeeping and the overall game. Any goalkeeper I have worked with over the last couple of decades will surely tell you that I make them analyze every goal scored in a match - both allowed and scored for their team. We trace goals back to their point of origin on the pitch and discuss what went right and / or what went wrong on the play. It is through studying the game from this perspective that I have come to understand attacking soccer.
Knowledge has a ripple effect as one thing learned leads to another avenue to explore. The cycle of learning never stops. And so it was that I realized there is real value to rotating players through a variety of positions. The back line positions are especially valuable in helping players learn a broader perspective of the game. Think about it for a minute, the whole of the game is before the backs. They are able to see the game unfold before them and if they are astute and wise, it is a learning experience for them in terms of attacking soccer as much and perhaps even more so than learning to be a defender.
This, of course, goes back to the idea of Total Soccer that advocates a nearly complete interchangeability in players manning positions on the pitch. Versatility combined with specialization is the epitome of a modern soccer player. It goes back to the 1980's business mantra of cross training employees in various roles within a business. Each player has a role to fill, but each players value is enhanced by his ability to fill multiple roles.
I have learned if a forward is struggling, the key to unlocking his potential might be a stint as a back and vice versa. We must be able to learn from the players we play against and then apply that knowledge against them. Some high school players are exceptional at this while others will obviously still need to work on developing this ability. Make no mistake that as the modern game continues to evolve the value of an individuals Soccer IQ continues to increase in value as well. Close no doors to education. Kick them all in and learn as much as you can from every available source. That is the lasting lesson one John Murphy imparted to me.
Before becoming the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's first Director of Goalkeeping, Tony Waiters had a long and distinguished playing career in England before turning to coaching / managing. He coached Team Canada in the '84 Olympics and '86 World Cup. Waiters is the founder of World of Soccer which led to Total Player Development which in turn spawned Byte Size Coaching.
Tony DiCicco is probably best known as the coach of the United States Women's National Team compiling an impressive record of 103-8-8. A lesser known aspect of his career is he started as the USWNT and Men's Under 20 National Team goalkeeper coach before getting the head women's job. In 1982 DiCicco founded Soccer Plus Goalkeeper School. In 2006 he succeeded Waiters as Director of the Goalkeeper Institute for the NSCAA.
John Murphy has coached in the college ranks and is currently at Anderson College. At the time of the coaching course I took he was the goalkeeper coach for the New England Revolution and soon to become goalkeeper coach of the Columbus Crew. Murphy has also coached Livingston of the Scottish First Division and in doing so became the first American to coach British professional soccer. Murphy remains on the National Staff for the NSCAA.
So, yeah, I was not exaggerating when I stated I was extremely fortunate to be a member of that particular goalkeeping course. I was also not kidding when I stated John Murphy stole the show. The one point Murphy made and illustrated for us in both film sessions and on-field work was the fact that to be a good goalkeeper you must understand attacking soccer. In the film sessions Murphy broke down goals allowed by tracing them to their point of origin out on the pitch. More often than not he could trace a goal to a specific breakdown 30, 40 or even 50+ yards out on the pitch.... but he didn't just focus on the defensive break down. No, Murphy was interested in what the attacker(s) had done to create or force the break down. Then he would look for, define and detail what defenders could have done differently to recover position preventing a cross or shot from being taken. Murphy would then show us film of defenders and goalkeepers making the correct plays in similar situations.
The bottom line for me was coming out of that course with improved knowledge about goalkeeping and a vast appreciation for becoming a student of the art of goalkeeping and the overall game. Any goalkeeper I have worked with over the last couple of decades will surely tell you that I make them analyze every goal scored in a match - both allowed and scored for their team. We trace goals back to their point of origin on the pitch and discuss what went right and / or what went wrong on the play. It is through studying the game from this perspective that I have come to understand attacking soccer.
Knowledge has a ripple effect as one thing learned leads to another avenue to explore. The cycle of learning never stops. And so it was that I realized there is real value to rotating players through a variety of positions. The back line positions are especially valuable in helping players learn a broader perspective of the game. Think about it for a minute, the whole of the game is before the backs. They are able to see the game unfold before them and if they are astute and wise, it is a learning experience for them in terms of attacking soccer as much and perhaps even more so than learning to be a defender.
This, of course, goes back to the idea of Total Soccer that advocates a nearly complete interchangeability in players manning positions on the pitch. Versatility combined with specialization is the epitome of a modern soccer player. It goes back to the 1980's business mantra of cross training employees in various roles within a business. Each player has a role to fill, but each players value is enhanced by his ability to fill multiple roles.
I have learned if a forward is struggling, the key to unlocking his potential might be a stint as a back and vice versa. We must be able to learn from the players we play against and then apply that knowledge against them. Some high school players are exceptional at this while others will obviously still need to work on developing this ability. Make no mistake that as the modern game continues to evolve the value of an individuals Soccer IQ continues to increase in value as well. Close no doors to education. Kick them all in and learn as much as you can from every available source. That is the lasting lesson one John Murphy imparted to me.
Thursday
Types of Goalkeeper Distributions
Types of Goalkeer Distributions
Today we will identify 7 different types of distribution the advanced goalkeeper should have in their arsenal. Three of these will deal with using the hands / arms to distribute the ball. The remaining four utilizing the foot / leg to distribute the ball. Regardless of the type of distribution utilized it should be employed as a pass to the extent possible. Remember, the goalkeeper is often the first attacker and as such is responsible for maintaining possession and starting the attack.
Key Considerations for Goalkeeping
There are four basic considerations for goalkeeping that help deterimine an individuals aptitude for the position. The goalkeepers technical ability, his tactical understanding, his psychological ablity to deal with the demands of the position and his physical gifts.
Wednesday
Proper preparation is the key to consistent performance.
I spent last night texting, tweeting, emailing and talking with a half dozen coaches, perhaps as many as 30 players, four referees and a handful of parents. Some were excited about their performance while others were clearly frustrated. Others just wanted to chat for a few minutes.
Through it all, the one train of thought that was constant in my mind was "preparation". I wondered what the team who performed so well against the odds had done to prepare for their match? I also wondered what the team who was frustrated with their performance had done to prepare for their match?
Emotional, mental and physical preparation are all important. I believe each can be trained. I believe each must be given proper consideration before, during and after a match.
When coaching goalkeepers I design practices that focus equally on all three of these areas. I do not want a player relying too heavily on emotion to perform for that means with every high there will be a corresponding low. The idea is to limit the peaks and valleys in order to be consistent in performance.
I never have goalkeepers practice "spectacular saves" and I never have goalkeepers practice "recovery" techniques. I firmly believe if a goalkeeper is technically excellent he will be able to make the spectacular save when called upon to do so. Likewise, if a goalkeeper is tactically excellent he should never have to execute a recovery technique to make up for being out of position in the first place.
I want goalkeepers to remain constant and consistent in the moment. I ask nothing more of them than to make the routine save knowing if they take care of the "easy" saves they will rise to the occasion when the difficult save is required of them.
I believe the same holds true for field players.
Have you ever watched a player working on his own practice a spectacular move over and over again? The rainbow for instance? How many times have you seen a rainbow performed in an actual match? In all my years of coaching I have seen a rainbow attempted twice in a match. Both were successfully completed but led directly to a lost possession. Other than a little "wow factor" little else was gained from performing the move... and think of all that was lost in the hours spent refining the move.
If a player has a solid foundation in the routine the spectacular will manifest itself when needed.
Confidence is a product of preparation.
This is why my goalkeepers perform the same three part warm up routine every practice and every pre-game. We are building a foundation in the routine matters of goalkeeping. Emotional, mental and physical routine to establish a foundation of preparedness. A platform for success, if you will. A reinforcing of routine to instill and ingrain confidence.
So it is I wonder what each team, what each player, coach and referee did in preparation for their games last night. What led to the thrill of successful performance and what led to the disappointment and frustration of under performance?
Through it all, the one train of thought that was constant in my mind was "preparation". I wondered what the team who performed so well against the odds had done to prepare for their match? I also wondered what the team who was frustrated with their performance had done to prepare for their match?
Emotional, mental and physical preparation are all important. I believe each can be trained. I believe each must be given proper consideration before, during and after a match.
When coaching goalkeepers I design practices that focus equally on all three of these areas. I do not want a player relying too heavily on emotion to perform for that means with every high there will be a corresponding low. The idea is to limit the peaks and valleys in order to be consistent in performance.
I never have goalkeepers practice "spectacular saves" and I never have goalkeepers practice "recovery" techniques. I firmly believe if a goalkeeper is technically excellent he will be able to make the spectacular save when called upon to do so. Likewise, if a goalkeeper is tactically excellent he should never have to execute a recovery technique to make up for being out of position in the first place.
I want goalkeepers to remain constant and consistent in the moment. I ask nothing more of them than to make the routine save knowing if they take care of the "easy" saves they will rise to the occasion when the difficult save is required of them.
I believe the same holds true for field players.
Have you ever watched a player working on his own practice a spectacular move over and over again? The rainbow for instance? How many times have you seen a rainbow performed in an actual match? In all my years of coaching I have seen a rainbow attempted twice in a match. Both were successfully completed but led directly to a lost possession. Other than a little "wow factor" little else was gained from performing the move... and think of all that was lost in the hours spent refining the move.
If a player has a solid foundation in the routine the spectacular will manifest itself when needed.
Confidence is a product of preparation.
This is why my goalkeepers perform the same three part warm up routine every practice and every pre-game. We are building a foundation in the routine matters of goalkeeping. Emotional, mental and physical routine to establish a foundation of preparedness. A platform for success, if you will. A reinforcing of routine to instill and ingrain confidence.
So it is I wonder what each team, what each player, coach and referee did in preparation for their games last night. What led to the thrill of successful performance and what led to the disappointment and frustration of under performance?
Tuesday
Thank you!
There was a time when I worked various soccer camps - The Soccer School, The University of Michigan and Findlay University among others. I admit to having sent my sons to these camps as well. Fees for these camps can be rather steep and I often worked in exchange for discounts for my sons participation. It occurred to me that similar quality experiences could be offered for far less cost and the participants could sleep in their own beds and eat home cooking every night. So that is the path I started down several years ago.
It began by conducting goalkeeper camps as that was my specialty. I hold the NSCAA diplomas, State through National and at one time was the only one in our area to do so. I began to receive requests from area coaches to conduct week long summer camps for their high school teams. I also hold various other NSCAA Diplomas and USSF licenses so this seemed a natural progression. I added a team camp to the goalkeeper training instruction I was providing. Word spread of the work I was doing and gradually more and more requests came in for me to conduct camps. This summer has been our busiest to date and I wish to thank all of you who have given us an opportunity to conduct camps for you. We are proud that schools we conduct camps for have us back year after year as we take this to be an indication they are happy with the experience we provide.
The camps continue to be a wonderful experience for us and one we are extremely grateful for. So it is that we thank all who have hosted Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer Camps! We can only hope you have enjoyed the experience as much as we have! Looking forward to seeing you on the pitch!
Timothy J. Brown
Founder and Director of Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer Camps
It began by conducting goalkeeper camps as that was my specialty. I hold the NSCAA diplomas, State through National and at one time was the only one in our area to do so. I began to receive requests from area coaches to conduct week long summer camps for their high school teams. I also hold various other NSCAA Diplomas and USSF licenses so this seemed a natural progression. I added a team camp to the goalkeeper training instruction I was providing. Word spread of the work I was doing and gradually more and more requests came in for me to conduct camps. This summer has been our busiest to date and I wish to thank all of you who have given us an opportunity to conduct camps for you. We are proud that schools we conduct camps for have us back year after year as we take this to be an indication they are happy with the experience we provide.
The camps continue to be a wonderful experience for us and one we are extremely grateful for. So it is that we thank all who have hosted Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer Camps! We can only hope you have enjoyed the experience as much as we have! Looking forward to seeing you on the pitch!
Timothy J. Brown
Founder and Director of Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer Camps
Thursday
We need a new goalkeeper! Analyzing Goals 2
Goalkeepers are the last line of defense. The lasting impression many will have when their team is scored upon is of he failed attempt to prevent the score by the goalkeeper. Some wil be supportive of the goalkeepers efforts ad others will make comments like "He should've made that save!" or "We need a new goalkeeper!"
Today's Analysis of a Goal comes from the same match as the first did. This is significant as I believe through analyzing goals a team can learn where their weaknesses lie and make necessary adjustments to strengthen their play.
The background: 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 atacking 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 # 2
This goal can also be traced to a successful long pass. Turnovers can often lead to goqal scoring opportunities. The moment of transition is so critical many coaches emphasize it as being one of 3 phases of the game along with the attacking and defending phases of play.
In this instance a pass from an AM to a CF is not played cleanly. The opposing defender wins the ball away and immediately plays a long pass that defeats and eliminates 6 players - the entire forward and midfield lines.
Film shows the LB in the left central channel challenging opposing forward who has received the ball at a distance of 30 yards from goal. It is unclear why the LB had moved centrally to engage the forward as the LCB appears position well to do so.
The LB initially does a good job of delaying the attack and forcing the opponent to play laterally.
The defending team has typically asked the outside backs to force the ball wide when they engaged opposing ball carriers.
Other zonal teams will ask the outside backs to force the ball carrier inside towards their center back and into what is known as the Pyrite Wedge (Corner, corner, post). Pyrite is also known as fools gold and that is what the wedge is to a ball carrier. He will think he is in on goal but if the outside back and inside back are working together the ball carrier will have little chance at a quality strike and even if he does the goalkeeper only has to defend 4 yards of goal on shots from the Pyrite Wedge.
In this case, because LB was out of position advanced in the central channel in front of the LCB he was completely dependent on the LCB to direct which way to force the play. The HM makes a strong recovery run to the inside and helps the LB to force play laterally away from the face of the goal, but the double team is not aggressive enough to dispossess the attacker.
The LCB has remained almost directly behind the LB while the play is unfolding. Zonal defending is all about supporting the pressure defender. The indecisiveness of the LCB forces his play to be an under lap. In this case, an under lap is essentially the movement the LCB should have executed when he first noticed the LB in his channel and certainly should have made once the HM came back to double team from the inside.
An under lap is a staple of zonal defending that basically sees an inside defender intentionally switch positions with an outside defender. This is usually done on the flank as a counter measure to an opponents attempt at an overlap. In this case the under lap should have been made to both provide cover to the outside and to balance the defensive shape in the defending third of the field.
The double team by the LB and HM force the attacker to move laterally outside towards the left channel where the LCB should have been lying in wait. As it was, there was no cover / support to the outside.
We must note at this juncture that neither the LW nor either AM has recovered to provide support to the outside of the pressure defender. Film does not dictate where they are, only that no one is in the left outside channel where action is being forced to. The RW is also not represented as film does not indicate where he was.
Let's reset the play at this point.
In the diagram below we see how the defense was actually deployed. Note that there is not proper shape and the spacing of the backs leaves the face of the goal unprotected.
With the goal to our backs the attacking ball carrier is being forced from right to left along the top of the 18 across the left center channel and towards the left outside channel. The LB is engaged and the HM is now following the play. The LCB remains almost directly behind the LB at a distance of 10 yards. The RCB is out of position outside of the far post along the top of the 18 but is reasonably positioned in relation to the opponents CM who is beginning a backside run to far post. He is unfortunately watching the ball and will soon lose sight of the backside runners as he turns and runs at his own goal. The RB is the only back in his correct channel but is also not positioned back to goal where he could have seen and picked up runners if he were positioned in the ball / you / man individual defensive triangle. The RW who is responsible for weak side defensive width is not visible on film.
At this point in time we have 5 defenders present in addition to the goalkeeper. All six players are out of position. Let's accept the fact the LB, despite being out of position has the attack contained. The LCB should be outside at a depth of 5 yards and width of 6 yards in position to cover / support the LB. The RCB is advanced on the 18 outside of the far post at a distance of 10 yards from the LB. Besides being advanced this split is far too wide in relation to the position of the ball on the field.
Now let us take a look at how the defense should have been deployed. I have included the wings covering width and all three midfielders. Please note the backs are spaced at 6 yards and can cover the width of the 18. They are also in support of the pressure being applied to the ball. In this instance that would be the LB (with the LCB having moved outside) and the HM who has maintained the double team he initiated when the ball was centrally located.
At this point the goalkeeper chooses an indirect path to the ball as he elects to pursue it diagonally backwards instead of moving to intercept it at the earliest point possible. The result is the shot / cross getting through to the backside runners for an easy tap in goal.
As with the first goal analyzed it should be clear that it was a total team break down that allowed this goal to be scored. Everyone will remember the RCB being beaten at the back post and the GK not getting to the ball in time, but this goal originated much further out on the pitch with every single member of the defending team having had an opportunity to interrupt the advance of the ball or prevent the cross / shot and ultimately the goal.
Today's Analysis of a Goal comes from the same match as the first did. This is significant as I believe through analyzing goals a team can learn where their weaknesses lie and make necessary adjustments to strengthen their play.
The background: 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 atacking 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 # 2
This goal can also be traced to a successful long pass. Turnovers can often lead to goqal scoring opportunities. The moment of transition is so critical many coaches emphasize it as being one of 3 phases of the game along with the attacking and defending phases of play.
In this instance a pass from an AM to a CF is not played cleanly. The opposing defender wins the ball away and immediately plays a long pass that defeats and eliminates 6 players - the entire forward and midfield lines.
Film shows the LB in the left central channel challenging opposing forward who has received the ball at a distance of 30 yards from goal. It is unclear why the LB had moved centrally to engage the forward as the LCB appears position well to do so.
The LB initially does a good job of delaying the attack and forcing the opponent to play laterally.
The defending team has typically asked the outside backs to force the ball wide when they engaged opposing ball carriers.
Other zonal teams will ask the outside backs to force the ball carrier inside towards their center back and into what is known as the Pyrite Wedge (Corner, corner, post). Pyrite is also known as fools gold and that is what the wedge is to a ball carrier. He will think he is in on goal but if the outside back and inside back are working together the ball carrier will have little chance at a quality strike and even if he does the goalkeeper only has to defend 4 yards of goal on shots from the Pyrite Wedge.
In this case, because LB was out of position advanced in the central channel in front of the LCB he was completely dependent on the LCB to direct which way to force the play. The HM makes a strong recovery run to the inside and helps the LB to force play laterally away from the face of the goal, but the double team is not aggressive enough to dispossess the attacker.
The LCB has remained almost directly behind the LB while the play is unfolding. Zonal defending is all about supporting the pressure defender. The indecisiveness of the LCB forces his play to be an under lap. In this case, an under lap is essentially the movement the LCB should have executed when he first noticed the LB in his channel and certainly should have made once the HM came back to double team from the inside.
An under lap is a staple of zonal defending that basically sees an inside defender intentionally switch positions with an outside defender. This is usually done on the flank as a counter measure to an opponents attempt at an overlap. In this case the under lap should have been made to both provide cover to the outside and to balance the defensive shape in the defending third of the field.
The double team by the LB and HM force the attacker to move laterally outside towards the left channel where the LCB should have been lying in wait. As it was, there was no cover / support to the outside.
We must note at this juncture that neither the LW nor either AM has recovered to provide support to the outside of the pressure defender. Film does not dictate where they are, only that no one is in the left outside channel where action is being forced to. The RW is also not represented as film does not indicate where he was.
Let's reset the play at this point.
In the diagram below we see how the defense was actually deployed. Note that there is not proper shape and the spacing of the backs leaves the face of the goal unprotected.
With the goal to our backs the attacking ball carrier is being forced from right to left along the top of the 18 across the left center channel and towards the left outside channel. The LB is engaged and the HM is now following the play. The LCB remains almost directly behind the LB at a distance of 10 yards. The RCB is out of position outside of the far post along the top of the 18 but is reasonably positioned in relation to the opponents CM who is beginning a backside run to far post. He is unfortunately watching the ball and will soon lose sight of the backside runners as he turns and runs at his own goal. The RB is the only back in his correct channel but is also not positioned back to goal where he could have seen and picked up runners if he were positioned in the ball / you / man individual defensive triangle. The RW who is responsible for weak side defensive width is not visible on film.
At this point in time we have 5 defenders present in addition to the goalkeeper. All six players are out of position. Let's accept the fact the LB, despite being out of position has the attack contained. The LCB should be outside at a depth of 5 yards and width of 6 yards in position to cover / support the LB. The RCB is advanced on the 18 outside of the far post at a distance of 10 yards from the LB. Besides being advanced this split is far too wide in relation to the position of the ball on the field.
Now let us take a look at how the defense should have been deployed. I have included the wings covering width and all three midfielders. Please note the backs are spaced at 6 yards and can cover the width of the 18. They are also in support of the pressure being applied to the ball. In this instance that would be the LB (with the LCB having moved outside) and the HM who has maintained the double team he initiated when the ball was centrally located.
Referring back to the first diagram the attacker got a step advantage to the outside and shot / crossed the ball along the ground towards the back post. Note their are no backs present in front of the face of the goal to defend the shot / cross. The RCB gets caught running at his own goal and is beaten to the near post by two attackers who have cut in behind him as he faced the ball. Both attackers also cut in front of the RB.
Now note the difference in the second diagram where the LCB is pressuring the ball. The LB has support to the outside. The RCB is in front of the face of the goal and in support of the LCB. The RB has the back post covered. Additionally the wing forwards are shown covering width with an AM having dropped in centrally to cover for the HM who has maintained the double team initiated when the ball was centrally located. With this coverage, and the backs playing back to goal, it would have been nearly impossible for the shot / cross to have cleanly made it across the face of the goal.
As with the first goal analyzed it should be clear that it was a total team break down that allowed this goal to be scored. Everyone will remember the RCB being beaten at the back post and the GK not getting to the ball in time, but this goal originated much further out on the pitch with every single member of the defending team having had an opportunity to interrupt the advance of the ball or prevent the cross / shot and ultimately the goal.
Friday
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.
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.
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