By Wayne Henderson - This Drill is one that tries to replicate a certain situation that can occur during a game, but there are also technical aspects to the drill as well that will be pointed out throughout the article. The drill focuses on the situation that occurs when an opposing player gets near the
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By Mike Smith I inherited a team once whose previous coach loved playing with a sweeper all the time. I employ sweepers “ situationally” but seldom run a sweeper as a system of play. However, the one I inherited was very fast, very strong and very good at the position. Consequently, the previous coaches system basically
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By Philip Joe Cauchi Within a 1-4-3-3 system of play the wingers’ function might differ according to the role within the team and their playing characteristics. However, a common aim we find in all wingers is to stretch the opposition’s defence to create gaps in the back line. They themselves might use this space (as
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By Steven Smith Area Size: Grid approximately 30X25 Yards Teams: Three teams of four or other variations of numbers as needed Time: 12-15 Minutes Setup: The teams are set up as shown with four black attackers vs. four yellow defenders. The red team is lined up on the outside of the field. Full sized goals with
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By Steven Smith This session is designed to move through a sequence toward emphasizing possession in the front third. The coach must focus his or her attention on the act of possession as feedback is given in each activity. Safety in controlling and owning the ball is of highest priority. The final activity will be functionally
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By Anthony Hazelwood The following activity is a short intensive 1 vs. 1 transition exercise intended to train the players explosive and soccer specific muscle strength. The specific fitness target is intermittent endurance while adapting the player’s anaerobic capacity in a small sided group format. In this activity, groups of players go through two sequences:
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By Anthony Hazelwood - The ability to successfully control a ball during a receiving or dribbling action is crucial to meet individual and team tactical agendas. This activity aids the player to practice a first touch into a vacant space action and to follow it up with a dribbling change of direction activity. Technical Activity:
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Defending By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART ONE Introduction 2016/17 Defensive Failures PART TWO Transition to Defending and Counter-Pressing PART THREE 2017/18 Team, Data and Key Players PART FOUR Guardiola's Defensive Principles INTRODUCTION - A Difficult Week 04/04/18 - Liverpool 3:0 Manchester City (Champions League Round of 8 - 1st
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Defending By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART TWO Transition to Defending and Counter-Pressing Transition to defend and counter-pressing These are the main principles of play in transition that Guardiola always tried to carry out on the field since Barcelona and Bayern Munich seasons and they deserve a particular focus,
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Defending By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART THREE 2017/18 Team, Data and Key Players The 2017/2018 team, data, defense principles of play, key players "It is important that the tackle belongs in your team as a skill, but the tackle is the last choice; I don’t train tackles. I
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Defending By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART FOUR Guardiola's Defensive Principles General Pep Guardiola's defense principles of play It is very remarkable to understand how Pep Guardiola has always based his defense phase on some main principles of play and he realized them on the field with all the teams
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By Wayne Henderson - Sometimes rather than be Specific as to which definitive element of goalkeeping you, as a coach are looking to work on for a certain session, You may need to work on as many different elements as you can within a short space of time. you might be having your first look
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By Mike Saif Question - I do a lot of possession work during my training sessions, but I still think we could do a better job of keeping possession during games, especially in midfield. What can I do to improve this? I don’t know exactly what kind of possession exercises you are doing with your team,
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By Mike Smith Don’t pass to your line. One of my coaching mentors used to use this rule during training and scrimmages to help a very young and inexperienced high school team develop vision, composure and move the ball. Initially, we would revert to “traditional” soccer during games( which wasn’t the greatest), but mid way through
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By Philip Joe Cauchi The ultimate aim in soccer is to win by scoring more goals than the opponent. To score we need to push players forward and create scoring opportunities. This is however easier said than done, as the opponents will make it very hard for us to create the space needed to have
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By Steven Smith Area Size: Full width and half field of length Time: Full progression will take about 12-15 minutes Setup: Two lines of four defenders face each other in a 40-yard gap in functional back third. Execution: Ball is passed from members of the same line and on coaches command the ball is passed to
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Attacking By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART ONE Introduction Manchester City's 2017/18 Team and Key Players PART TWO Formations and Attacking Shapes PART THREE Formations and Attacking Shapes Continued PART FOUR Counter-Attacking Set Plays INTRODUCTION "I'd rather my players to thank me for improving them, rather than for the titles."
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Attacking By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART TWO Formations and Attacking Shapes Formations and attacking shapes on the field This is the basic starting line up with the back four (1-4-3-3): Ederson, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Delph, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sané. In the second season with Guardiola as
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Attacking By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART THREE Formations and Attacking Shapes Continued Formations and Attacking Shapes Continued When the opposition decides not to press the start of the moves and to defend the width, leaving the center players as defenders of the depth, the offensive phase is usually poor,
Continue readingWORLD CLASS COACHING Pep Guardiola Attacking By Luca Bertolini Table of Contents PART FOUR Counter-Attacking Set Plays Counter-Attacks Manchester City scored 28 times (18% of all goals) after a counter attack during this last 2017/2018 season. This following scheme sums up the average percentages of each match; 3% of counter attacks ended with a goal. We
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By Anthony Hazelwood - Passing and receiving a soccer ball during a match is a penetrative or possession-based action between a pair of soccer players. The ability to perform these actions will be dictated by a decision-making process guided by the presented on-field scenarios. To solve these on-field situations, these two points should be considered:
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By Steven Smith Just as one vs. one attacking is an essential part of the success of a team, so goes the importance of defending in the same setting. The skills required for this includes technical ability to defend as well as tactical decision making. The role of the first defender is to delay the attack
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