It
Takes Teamwork To Win!
Soccer is
a team sport.
11 Players on the
field + reserves and frequently you’re only
as good as your weakest link.
That is why small
group play is at the top of our Pyramid of Player
Development.
At Coerver Coaching we are constantly trying to
create a better team, by increasing the skill level
of every player on the team and by encouraging and
educating players on the dynamics of small group
play.
When we think
of great football teams of recent history we think
of the French World Cup champions of 1998 led by
the great Zinedine Zidane and his tremendous supporting
cast of Petit, Desailly,Deschamps & co and their
convincing 3-0 defeat of an accomplished Brazilian
squad to take the Cup.
The Brazilian squad matured from that defeat and
four years later triumphed led by Ronaldo, Ronaldinho,
Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
These teams had tremendous quality and depth. When
you watched them move quickly and smoothly up and
down the field, working the ball in their small
groups it was beautiful to watch …and terrific
models for us to emulate.
In lesson six the last of our Six Steps To Success
Program. We focus on the very essence of soccer
itself …small group play.
Our players must learn to work with their teammates
in close quarters, crisply passing and receiving…cutting
and chopping, stopping and starting, faking and
feinting, giving and going and creating and taking
scoring chances…...this is the kind of work
that will produce our own sleight of foot Zidanes
and Ronaldinhos and goal grabbing Rooneys.
Group
Play Is Exciting!
Even after being in the
game over 50 years I still get excited at whatever
stage of soccer I watch, be it U10 or World Cup
when I see a team move the ball smoothly down the
field, controlling and probing and attacking when
opening appear. This is soccer…this is the
beautiful game.
When we teach our
players in camps and clinics our group play exercises
we never fail to bring a smile to their faces. The
energy they expend is substantial but the joy they
obtain is even greater. They can feel the beauty
of the game coming thru and this is when players
become passionate about their craft. Get them going
on these small group play practices and watch their
attitudes and skills quickly improve.
The drill we
have for your review today is something the entire
team can participate in…not just the forwards
and midfielders. It’s fun and extremely energetic.
I think you are going to like it a lot. Let’s
have a look.
Watch
the video closely to see the correct form.
The text below should help you with the set up for
the four speed drills reviewed in the video. Watch
it a couple of times make sure you got them down.
Exercise 8
Setup
A 30- by 50-yard area.
Full-size goals at each end with goalkeepers.
Two teams of three players each and
one neutral players who plays with the team in possession.
Action
When a team wins possession, it can
try to score in either goal. When a team scores,
it retains possession and must try to score in the
opposite goal.
There’s no offside to encourage
fast attacks.
All players on the attacking team
must be in the attacking half for the goal to count.
If all players on the defending team are not all
back in their defensive half, the goal counts double.
The coach changes teams and the neutral
player at his discretion.
Tips
Encourage players to shoot at every opportunity
and to follow up shots.
This is good exercise in which to
work on communication skills.
The goal that count double encourage
fast finishes to attacks before defenders can recover.
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