To defend against the breakaway, teams must be prepared to face an attacking opponent with fewer
than optimal numbers. Sometimes, only the goalie is left in the sole line of defense against two or
three opponents dashing towards the goal. Your team must practice defending with numbers down to
better prepare for coming up against a breakaway.
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People think that punting the ball is the best option when a goalkeeper distributes the ball, but
that's just not so.Punting is a great way to get the ball out of your end, but it does not compare
with throwing for accuracy. Remember that punting the ball 40 yards into the air means anyone can
be on the other end of it.
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There are many components to good team defense as well as to individual defensive skills. As soon
as the opponent gains possession of the ball, the team is on defense, and the defenders must be
especially aware and prepared as an offensive attack approaches their own goal. After a transition
(one team switching to offense while another switches to defense) the first responsibility of the
defense is to get between the ball and the goal.
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'Brisbane boss Ange Postecoglou was frustrated to leave with a point after watching his team
control large portions of the match. "We certainly had enough of the ball and we moved it quite
well"'
Mate, the fans were just bored with the training ground - obvious and predictable passing, that
gave Newcastle no trouble.
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A game against Dagenham & Redbridge at Spurs Lodge training ground last week saw a Spurs XI packed
full of internationals take to the field eager for some much-needed match practice, but Redknapp
has few qualms about the plight that established and highly-paid stars Bentley and Pavlyuchenko
find themselves in.
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Few things in soccer get a crowd into a game better than a bicycle or overhead kick. While they are
a sight to see, there is a proper way to perform the move so you do not land on your neck, elbow or
back and end up risking injury. Given the risk of injury in landing incorrectly, this is an
advanced skill move for older players.
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Forwards are goal scorers. Forwards are our front line of attack, our main offensive players. If
the ball is between a forward and the goal or the goal line, forwards must be running to the ball -
all the way to the goal or to the goalkeeper. Forwards have to follow all shots. If another forward
has the ball, the first forward must move without the ball, along with the other forwards, to stay
one.
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Many athletes tend to forget how important hydration and nutrition are when the weather turns
colder. The cold air can suppress feelings of thirst, leading athletes to not drink as much as they
should during outdoor exercise in cold weather. The water or sports drink they were used to
drinking in hot weather might not have the same rejuvenating effect if the liquid has turned very
cold or freezing in its container.
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Having few or no subs is something that many teams experience on game day from time to time. Some
players have other family commitments on a particular weekend, or maybe your players are also
playing for other teams. Regardless, if you know you are going to be down players for an upcoming
game, it helps to plan a strategy early and even implement some no-sub situations at that week's
practice if possible.
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The US Soccer Federation offers coaching education classes at every level for soccer coaches in the
United States. Currently, there are four levels of national licensing and certification for all
coaches: the A, B, C, and U.S. Soccer Youth licenses. The D, E, and Youth Module coaching education
certification programs are available through the state associations.
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As we head into Fall and the end-of-season outdoor tournaments, it is time to start thinking about
indoor soccer as a means to keep your team in shape during the off-season. However, indoor soccer
is a much different game than the outdoor one, so as a coach you need to be prepared to make some
changes in your practice routine and field set-up.
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As a coach, you may want to ask one of your parents or your assistant coaches to keep stats for you
during the game. This way, you can keep track of how many shots or goals you got off against a
particular team, how different players are faring in different positions, and how your goalkeeper
matches up to the opposing goalkeeper.
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When I was a youth player, the best advice I got was to practice my juggling. It's a great way for
you to learn how the ball reacts to different touches and surfaces. For example, the ball bounces
differently when you use your thigh than when you use your foot. At first, juggle just using your
feet and see how many you can do, then juggle using just your thighs, and so on.
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There are several keys to an effective attack, but the concept can be broken down into three simple
ideas. Players must 1) penetrate 2) support and 3) make runs in order to maintain possession en
route to scoring a goal. The first attacker is the player who first makes an offensive movement
towards the opponent's goal.
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Any soccer coach wants their players to improve, but sometimes it is hard to quantify that
progress. That's why it can be a good idea to use statistics to illustrate the progress of your
players. We are not talking about goals and assists either. Any time you measure a physical ability
on the soccer field, you are using statistics.
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Saying that there are no set plays in soccer is one of the biggest misconceptions in the game.
While the action is free-flowing, it may be hard to notice that players are making runs and passes
to spots they have rehearsed in practice. In dead ball situations though, teams can work on plays
to get the ball right where they want it.
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One of the most neglected areas of different training sessions at the youth level across the United
States is a thorough warm up. A simple jog around the field and a couple of quick bends to touch
your toes simply does not cut it. The same goes for anything that is done in a span of 10 minutes
or less.
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As a coach, you may be in one of two positions-- either you need more help from your parents to run
your practice, or you have a lot of parents attending practice who want to help, and you don't
quite know what to do with them. If you fall into the first category (needing more parent help) it
is advisable to use your assistant coach and/or team mom as your 'recruiters,' because you may be.
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USYSA's rules for each level of small-sided play (see What are the rules for each level of
small-sided play?) state that no goalkeeper should be used in 3v3 and 4v4 small-sided games. Once
the numbers increase to 6v6 or 7v7, it is important to start incorporating the role of the
goalkeeper into the soccer practice and game.
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There are three ways for a goalkeeper to distribute the ball: punting, throwing or rolling. Today,
let's concentrate on the one used for short distances and accuracy: rolling. This will not be the
hardest skill to master, but the key is deciding when to use it and when to create distance between
yourself and the ball.
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The chest trap is one of four primary ways to trap a soccer ball (the other ways are the head trap,
the thigh trap, and the foot trap). Trapping refers to the process of stopping or slowing a ball
that has traveled from one player to another via a pass. If a player is using a chest trap to
control the pass, presumably the ball has come to them through the air.
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What makes a strong soccer player? A knowledgeable soccer fan may choose among a variety of
appropriate answers. Good foot skills. Aggression. Speed. Athleticism. Although all of these
physical abilities strengthen a player's performance on the field, many players and coaches pay
little attention to the importance of the mental aspects of the game.
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Carlito was delighted when his mum turned up at Man Utd's training ground Fergie phoned Tevez this
week to assure him that he had a future at Old Trafford. The Argentine's response can be
paraphrased as follows: "It's a...
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As a youth coach, the first thing to teach your newest players is the rules and basic concepts of
the game. If you are dealing with a whole team made up of brand-new players, you will want to
dedicate the opening practice to learning the basic rules. With very young players (U-6), you will
want to avoid lecturing to them whenever possible.
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The US Youth Soccer Association provides definitions for different levels of team play in the world
of youth soccer. Today's growing soccer world now includes more than just the two basic levels of
teams (recreational and travel teams). (As a side note, the words 'recreational' and 'house'
typically refer to the same type of team; and, the words 'club,' 'travel,' or 'select' refer to the
same type of team as well.
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In soccer, the "volley" usually refers to a type of kick that is taken when the ball is in the air.
Generally, a player will take a volley when the ball is coming at them via an air ball. Instead of
trapping the ball and then passing or dribbling it, the player will perform a trap and pass (or
shot) in one movement.
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Did you know in 1995 that a player from the Ukraine juggled a ball for over 24 hours straight to
set a world record? It's a pretty amazing feat, but it shows what you can do when you have complete
mastery of controlling a soccer ball (and a lot of free time). Odds are that you will never have to
dribble (or do anything else) for 24 hours straight, especially since soccer matches only last.
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Most sporting good stores or soccer specific stores offer balls made by different companies. The
balls can differ in materials, method of construction, and overall strength. Some balls may be
better suited to practice than games, some balls are ideal for indoor soccer, and there are
specialty or ‘mini' balls as well that can also be helpful in practice.
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One of the most difficult things for any coach is transferring training exercises to the actual run
of play. Unless your intent is to work on conditioning, what you teach your players has to matter
in the game. No one who has tried to coach soccer would fall for the line that it's basically a
simple game with a few elements.
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Scouting Cherundolo The key to Steve's game is endurance and an understanding of the importance of
his position. As a right back, he knows what is expected of him, how games are likely to develop,
and - perhaps most importantly - what not to do. Even at National Team level, it is very easy for a
defender to push up too far, try the tricky run, and leave his defense short if the play breaks.
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With some soccer teams having 15 or more players, it is natural that everyone may not always get
along. However, in most cases, it is advised that you try and work things out with your teammates
for the good of the team. First, you should try to identify the problem with your teammate or
teammates so that you have a better idea of how you may be able to fix the problem.
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Scouting Landon Donovan First off, Landon Donovan is not the typical target forward, but he has
more goals than anybody in the history of the US National Team. How? He puts himself in positions
to be the difference. Landon knows going in that he's never going to be the biggest player on the
field, but that doesn't mean he can't be the best.
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Players who hesitate to shoot on goal even when it appears that they have a clear shot are
obviously holding onto the ball too long. There are many drills that can help forwards and
midfielders to take more shots on goal even if it doesn't look like they have a clear shot. A
common misconception that many players have is that they can only take that "perfect shot," and
many will wait for that very.
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Scouting Onyewu Playing with his size and his skill in the air, Oguchi is unafraid to stand at the
top of the box and take on the other team's best attacker with the game on the line. It's that
fearlessness that keeps him in the starting eleven for club and country. Onyewu will step in
against anybody, and rarely lets the referee determine how he plays his game.
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Scouting Onyewu Playing with his size and his skill in the air, Oguchi is unafraid to stand at the
top of the box and take on the other team's best attacker with the game on the line. It's that
fearlessness that keeps him in the starting eleven for club and country. Onyewu will step in
against anybody, and rarely lets the referee determine how he plays his game.
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