All Posts by Mike Saif

0 Build From the Back the Guardiola Way

By Danny Carvalho Pep Guardiola made "Developing the Lavolpiana" an expression and style of build up play, very famous throughout the years. It consists in having three players (usually two center back on the sides and de defensive midfielder dropping in between them to set the play) starting the attack on the first third. The

1 The 3-2-4-1 Formation Session

In this week's Animated Drills Video, Matthew Carroll shares a session on the 3-4-2-1 formation. The diagram is created with the Academy Soccer Coach software. See more at www.academysoccercoach.co.uk 

0 Playing with Two Center Midfielders

By Matt Carroll One of the challenges of coaching the 9v9 game is getting players to recognize how what their teammates are doing affects what they should be doing, nowhere is this more difficult than in playing two players in the center midfielder role. Oftentimes the players will become redundant, chasing the same ball or

1 The Role of the Center Midfielder – Defending eBook

0 Active Shooting Sessions

By Danny Carvalho Question - “My players love it when we work on shooting, but they don't like it when they have to wait in line and take turns taking shots.  Can you share some shooting exercises that don't involve waiting in line?” Always a challenge when we think about shooting practices and waiting in

0 3 v 3 + 3 Continuous Transition Game

By Philip Cauchi Title of practice: 3v3+3 Continuous Transition Game. Type of practice: High Intensity Intermittent. Age bracket: Under 14 upward.  Area of practice: 35 yards in length by 20 yards in width divided into two equal vertical zones. This however depends on the tactical-technical and also the soccer fitness level of the players. Aim

0 Press to Score SSG

By Keith Scarlett - This is a fast paced small-sided game that will help your players transition from defense to offense and also encourage quick shooting and finishing. Players play 5v5 in a 40x30 yard grid with one goal on one end. When one team scores, they keep possession. When the defense wins the ball,

1 Midfield Pivot Players

By Philip Cauchi Analysis of Italy’s two pivot players Jorginho and Cristante in the 2022 world cup qualifier match versus Lithuania played on September 8 2021. The pivot players’ behavior during the offensive organisation phase. Italy started the match using a 1-4-2-3-1 system operating within an associative style of play.  The match was dominated by

0 Coaching Basic Catching Skills

By Philip Cauchi - The below are games that develop the basic skill of catching which is a pre-requirement for the development of goalkeepers. These games target the foundation phase between eight and twelve years of age. However, they could also be used with younger ages if the children demonstrate to have the ability to

0 Receive With a Change of Direction

By Matt Carroll - The purpose of this individual technique drill to provide repetition of receiving into a change of direction with a high level of repetition and variability. Setup: Set up a rebounders about 10 feet in front of a player and ten feet to their left. This can also work in the corner

0 Designing a Pressing Session

In this week's Animated Drills Video, Matthew Carroll shares how to design a pressing session. The diagram is created with the Academy Soccer Coach software. See more at www.academysoccercoach.co.uk 

1 Marking the Direct Opponent

By Philip Cauchi Level of ability: The players should have a general understanding of the principles of defending pressure, cover and balance. With beginners it might be more fruitful to keep the contexts simple by using less players. With more advanced players we can overload the defenders by playing in a numerical disadvantage. Aim: To

0 Getting Outside Backs Forward in Any Formation

By Matt Carroll For some young players, in their head, playing defense means not crossing half, and definitely no scoring. This mindset is detrimental to their development as players, and your team’s attacking capabilities. The fear for people that put this idea in their head is that if they are out of position the opposition

0 How Your Forwards Should React When Losing Possession

By Danny Carvalho Question - “When we lose possession, my two forwards don't react quick enough to try and get back to help defend. What should forwards be expected to do when your team loses possession and is now defending?” This is a matter of preference and tactical option. The coach can determine if they

1 Ball Gladiators Warm Up and Conditioning Game

By Philip Cauchi Title of practice: Ball Gladiators. Type of practice: Warm-up Age bracket: Under 8 to under 13.  Area of practice: 12 yards by 12 yards. Aim of the practice: The players will be aware of when and how to shield the ball to protect it, play with the head up and continuously assess

1 3v1 Possession Drill

By Keith Scarlett - Line a field into 4 15 yard boxes per the diagram. Players are positioned in the grids as the diagram shows. They play 3v1 for possession in their grid. When the defender wins the ball, they immediately transition to the other grid and play in their two teammates. The player who

0 Transfer From a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 In Game

By Matthew Carroll Most coaches have heard the Mike Tyson quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”, and it rings especially true for the game of soccer. The best made tactical stratagem can be laid bare when the opposition scores from the kickoff, or your key left winger is sick

0 Two Goalkeeper Sessions

By Philip Cauchi - In this article we will go through the key points learned by observing Sevilla FC’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou against FC Barcelona in first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final played on Wednesday 10th of February 2021. Following this brief analysis are two practices that target the development of goalkeeping soccer-related

0 Touch and Turn Drill

By Matt Carroll - This small touch and turn drill is a useful one for midfielders. The turn can be used to draw the defender towards one shoulder then quickly turn and find the space vacated by their heavy press. Setup: Setup about eight feet away from a rebounder or wall with a cone five

0 The Role of the Center Midfielder – Attacking eBook

0 Teaching Quality Finishing

By Philip Cauchi Level of ability: This session is aimed for average to above average levels of ability. The players should have an understanding of the individual principles of play such as playing with the head up, adapting an open body profile, receiving and controlling the ball using the back foot and playing forward using

0 Receiving to Shoot in a Private Session

In this week's Animated Drills Video, Matthew Carroll shares private shooting session. The diagram is created with the Academy Soccer Coach software. See more at www.academysoccercoach.co.uk 

0 Pressing in a 3-2-4-1

By Matt Carroll The 3-2-4-1 is unique for its M shaped defensive covering system in the back that doesn’t sacrifice forward attacking options as much as the 4-2-3-1 does. It also provides more firepower for pressing. This article will discuss some tactical concepts for pressing with this formation. Just as in the 4-2-3-1 the press

2 How to Make Defending Interesting For Your Players

By Danny Carvalho Question - “My players don't like it when we work on defending. I coach U11's. Any ideas on how I can make my defending sessions more interesting and fun for my players?” My plan A for a motivating session is always to reward them for performing the expected actions or behaving in