All Posts by Mike Saif

0 How Deep Support Runs Can Create Goals

By Stevie Grieve, Author of Coaching the 4-2-3-1, Modern Soccer Tactics and Winning Soccer Tactics.

In the recent UEFA CL match between Barcelona and Spartak Moscow, many people expected a close match between the sides, mainly as not only are Spartak a good side, but have ex-Valencia manager Unai Emery as manager, who knows how to play against Barcelona and keep the game tight, as he did so many times with Valencia. Despite never winning against Barcelona, his team was never embarrassed and often looked like they could win, but could never take the chances.

Spartak played the game with a solid and narrow 4-4-2 formation, with Ari and Emeneke looking to play in the channels in transition, Emeneke looking to overpower Mascherano at every opportunity. Barcelona played in their usual style and had most of the possession, looking especially dangerous down the left with Tello v Kombarov, where the 1st goal came from.

Tello goal – Adriano’s deep supporting run creates Tello’s space to shoot.

As Alves receives from Pedro, he dribbles inside, and then as he is pressed, passes over to Xavi, who knows he will

1 Developing Great Foot-work with the use of Foot-Speed and Coordination Exercises Part 1

By Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

So many actions and combinations of actions depend on the ability of the player to move their feet rapidly, but in a coordinated manner. Take for instance a wing back jockeying a fast and tricky attacker on the flank in a 1 v 1 situation. The wing back has move their feet fast enough to keep the attacker in front of them, but must also be able to tackle if their opponent takes a bad touch or attempt a cross.

This week and next week’s articles will focus on developing good footwork; in terms of both foot speed and coordination. The exercises presented this week are of a more basic level and can be used earlier in the training year when players are slowly getting back to being game fit. Next week’s activities will be of a more advanced level and should be used only after players have mastered the basic patterns. Both sets of exercises can be used at the start of your training sessions and also incorporate technical training.

Set-Up and Directions:

Divide your players into groups of two. Each pair needs a ball, a small cone and a mini hurdle. For the first exercise, have the player without the ball stand 6 to 12 inches behind the hurdle, facing their partner who is standing 10 to 12 yards away with a ball at their feet. Place the small cone midway between the player with the ball and the hurdle (Figure1).

When ready have the player without the ball jump over the hurdle so that they land no more than

0 Diving and Shot Blocking

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on footwork, fitness, diving and shot blocking.

Start with two servers on the 18 even with the posts.  Each server has some balls.  A keeper starts at one of the posts and there it a cone in the center of the goal.

The keeper starts by sliding side to side to the cone, touching the cone and then

0 Possession to Penetrate

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on possession while looking to penetrate the defense.

Start with a circle with a 20 yard diameter and then have a circle inside with a 10 yard diameter.

This is a 5 v 2 possession game where no players are allowed

0 Soccer Tough

This article is provided by Dan Abrahams and is from his new book - Soccer Tough.

My new book ‘Soccer Tough’ helps footballers of all abilities to build their mental toughness and develop the mindset of an elite player. In this article I will introduce you to 3 golden rules that will help you become the very best footballer you can be.

Think about your football in a helpful, positive way

How you think about your football on a day to day basis determines how you feel about your football, and how you feel about your football heavily influences how quickly you learn in training and how well you perform on matchday.

I spend many hours every week teaching Premiership footballers how to

3 Small Group Defending to Improve Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser

Today’s activity focuses on a number parameters, including individual and small group defending; 1 v 1 attacking; speed of reaction; and anaerobic endurance. It is an exercise I like to use during the competitive or in-season as it allows me to ‘kill many birds with one stone’.

Set-Up and Directions:

Divide your players into groups of 4 (or 8) and set up the following station for each group: Create a grid 20 yards wide and 20 yards long. Place a small goal (1.5 yards wide) on each side of the grid so that the goals are in line with the centre of the area. Have one player stand beside each goal with a ball at their feet. Give each player a different number between 1 and 4 (Figure 1).

When ready, the coach will call two numbers. The first number called will be

0 Organizing the Defense In Front of You

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter. Today’s featured activity works on shot blocking, reading the game, organizing the defense and positioning.

Start with a keeper in goal and a second keeper in a goal at the top of the 18. The field is made up on the 18.

There are 5 players attacking the big goal and

0 A Passing and Overlap Exercise

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter. Today’s featured activity is a passing and overlap exercise.

Start with 4 players in a square approximately 20 x 20. One player starts with the ball.

The player in the opposite corner checks to and the pass is made to

1 Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1

Next week we will have our new book, "Coaching the 4-2-3-1" ready for release.  With teams like Real Madrid, Chelsea, Man City, Spain and others all playing with a 4-2-3-1, this has become our most anticipated book for a long time.  Coaches can't wait to get their hands on it. Just to give you a

1 Shooting at the End of Every Practice

Like many coaches I focus on one particular aspect of the game during each training session. Sure, I try to train the technical, tactical, physical and psychological components around the specific skill so that the practice is as economical as possible. But in the past if my focus was on passing and receiving I wouldn't have thought about ending the session with any type of shooting.

When WORLD CLASS COACHING conducted a tour of Dutch club a few years ago I was fortunate enough to attend. While visiting the Ajax Academy I watched a session presented by

1 Session To Develop Pressing and Covering in a 4-2-3-1

By Stevie Grieve, Author of Modern Soccer Tactics and Winning Soccer Tactics. This is a sneak peek at our soon to be released book, "Coaching the 4-2-3-1".  Watch for our email newsletters and Facebook page for more info. Place 3 or 4 players inside a central zone. With 4 players, all players have 1 zone,

1 Speed of Reaction and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

Individual and Small Group Defending; Dribbling to Beat and Opponent; Speed of Reaction and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

Today’s activity focuses on a number parameters, including individual and small group defending; 1 v 1 attacking; speed of reaction; and anaerobic endurance. It is an exercise I like to use during the competitive or in-season as it allows me to ‘kill many birds with one stone’.

Set-Up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of 4 (or 8) and set up the following station for each group: Create a grid 20 yards wide and 20 yards long. Place a small goal (1.5 yards wide) on each side of the grid so that the goals are in line with the centre of the area. Have one player stand beside each goal with a ball at their feet. Give each player a different number between 1 and 4 (Figure 1).

When ready, the coach will call two numbers. The first number called will be the attacker and the second number called will

0 A Simple Drill to Improve Catching and Balance

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity is extremely simple and works on catching, balance, fitness and strength.

Start with two cones two yards apart with a keeper in between them.  A server stands 10 yards away with a ball in his hands

To start the keeper stands between the two cones and

0 Drill To Improve Footwork and Shot Blocking

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on footwork, movement and shot blocking

There are 3 goals made using cones on different angles.  There is a server 15 yards from each goal and a keeper starts in the middle goal.  Each server has a ball.

The coach starts by calling a number.  The keeper must sprint into position to

0 3v1 Possession Small-Sided Game

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Todays featured activity is a 3v1 possession game with rotating defenders.

Start with a 10 x 10 grid and 3 players on offense inside the grid.  Three defenders are just outside of one corner with balls.

The first player in the corner passes the ball out to an

0 Midfield/Forward Combination Play

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on a midfielder playing into a target player and then a quick combination.

A line of players with balls starts around 40 yards from goal.  A target player started 25 yards from goal between two cones.  A keeper is in goal.

The first player with the ball plays it into the

0 Encouraging Combination Play

For me, the beginning of the season revolves around getting a group of players to work together within a framework of a system. Lately that system has been the 4-3-3. This involves teaching each player the role and responsibility of their position: How the defenders work together to stop attacks and win the ball. How the midfielders connect the team together. How the attackers create goalscoring opportunities. All of this gives the players a starting point but the most important learning comes next.

Helping the players to think and act creatively within the framework of the system is what will

0 Euro 2012 Germany v Italy – Balotelli’s goals make up for his misses against England

By Stevie Grieve, Author of Modern Soccer Tactics and Winning Soccer Tactics.

In the second semi-final, both teams know that the winner will play against Spain in the final, who defeated Portugal on penalties. Germany and Spain were early favourites for the tournament and both semi-final ties, but with Italy playing very offensively in every game so far; even in the match against Spain in the group stage where they played an attacking 3-5-2 formation, Germany shouldn’t expect an easy game defensively, especially against the dual enigma’s that are Cassano and Balotelli, with Di Natale in reserve for Italy.

Italy’s 1st goal – Balotelli loses his marker easily to score the opening goal

As Chiellini passes to Cassano, he is chased by Hummels who is marking him. The nearest

0 To Come Off Your Line or Stay Back?

Welcome to the Goalkeeping Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity works on communication, tactical awareness and foot skills.

This activity involves balls played beyond the last defender and the keeper having to make a decision regarding coming out for the ball, staying back, playing safe or retaining possession.

To start, have a keeper in goal, a server at midfield with some balls and a line of players who will represent backs on the keepers team.

To start the server plays a ball somewhere between the back and

0 A 3-person Passing Combination Working On Passing and Movement

Welcome to the FineSoccer Drills Newsletter.  Today’s featured activity is a 3 person passing combination working on passing and movement.

Start with a 20 x 10  with two players in opposite corners and one in the middle. Player 1, on the outside starts with a ball.

Player 1 passes to player 2 and then sprints to the

0 Teaching Three Types of Turns, Improving Speed Dribbling Technique, and Developing Anaerobic Capacity

By Justin Cresser, Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

Turning away from your marker, while dribbling at speed, is an essential quality for both midfielders and attackers who have little time and space when in possession of the ball. Today’s activity teaches players three types of turns and focuses on being able to perform these turns while dribbling at a fast pace. The structure of the exercise also allows your players to develop their anaerobic endurance, a component of fitness that allows players to perform repeated high intensity actions throughout the duration of the game.

Set-up and Directions: Divide your players into groups of three (or four) and set up the following station for each group: Place two pylons 20 yards apart. Have two players stand at one pylon (one of these should have a ball) while the third player stands at the second pylon. Place two small cones in between the pylons so that the small cones are ten yards apart, but each cone is 5 yards away from the closest pylon (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the player with the ball dribbling at speed towards the small cone that

0 Game Speed Test Developmental Report

Today's post is from our Soccer Conditioning Expert, Scott Moody at SoccerFIT Academy. I've posted some of their information on speed, fitness and agility testing in the past because I think Scott is on the leading edge of soccer conditioning in the U.S. and I work with him through our Sporting Affiliate Club in Overland Park, KS. Here is his latest update on the testing they have been doing with clubs and coaches around the world. I thought you'd find it interesting and helpful especially since there's no cost to test your players and see how they stack up. It's also a great evaluation tool that can be used to assess the progress of the players over the course of a season, year or career.

We now have over 700 coaches in 30 countries using the SoccerFIT Game Speed Test to evaluate their players and teams. Some of the college coaches have found the test a very useful preseason tool, as it shows strengths and weaknesses in SKILL, SPEED and FITNESS, and can quickly show where you are strong (and weak) as a team. We continue to support all programs using our test with eBooks and clinics that highlight our systematic approach of blending the physical aspects with the technical aspects to create a more applicable (and efficient) way to integrate speed, agility and fitness into normal practice sessions.

On the club level we have started testing all the teams and players in various clubs to create a clear picture of the developmental process within the club. Below is a graph of the girls side of one club we consult with (from U11 to U18). We ranked the teams

4 Analysis of Current Liverpool Situation

By Waleed Zaghloul

It is agonizing to Liverpool fans to see their team’s demise in a few short seasons. It was only five years ago that the Reds faced AC Milan for the second time in the final of the European Champions League. How is it that they have fallen so far behind their rivals Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and most recently Manchester City? Is it all financial? Is it all because of the top management and the sale of the club twice in recent years? What will it take and how soon for Liverpool Football Club to compete with the top four again? Let us have a look at some of the soccer related components.

Goalkeepers
Liverpool have struggled in recent years to find consistent goalkeepers. A plethora of goalkeepers have come and gone in recent history without leaving any real marks, maybe except for Jerzy Dudek and only in the Champions League win in Istanbul. Keepers like Brad Friedel and David James left Liverpool to shine elsewhere and others like Scott Carson and Chris Kirkland left the club never to be heard from again (not seriously at least). In my professional opinion, Liverpool are still struggling in this area with one of the most overrated and inconsistent goalkeepers in the EPL. Pepe Reina is a good shot stopper, but lacks in almost every other important goalkeeping area. He is short and is one of the worst goalkeepers in the EPL when it comes to handling crosses. When he comes out, he rarely picks up the ball and he usually swats at it causing more trouble to his defense than had he stayed on his line. Reina usually hesitates when faced with a one-on-one situation and many times ends being caught in no man’s land or ends up upending the striker and giving away a penalty kick.

Reina, on occasion, makes some fantastic saves, but he usually balances that out by letting in some real silly goals trying so hard to impersonate

0 Developing Anaerobic Capacity using 1 v 1 Small Sided Games

By Justin Cresser Author of Total Soccer Conditioning: A Ball Orientated Approach

Small sided games are paramount for the development of youth players and the 1 v 1 variation is the simplest form. 1 v 1 situations occur frequently throughout the game, especially in the wide areas of the field, and being able to both defend and attack in these situations are key to the performance of the team. Playing in 1 v 1 encounters requires great speed, footwork and dribbling ability. In fact, many coaches believe that whoever wins the most 1 v 1 battles is likely to win the game.

Today’s exercise focuses on developing anaerobic capacity using a 1 v 1 small sided game with some simple modifications.

Set-up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of 6 (preferably) or 8 players. For each group, set up the following station: Set up a 15 by 15 yard grid. Place two goals (1.5 yards in width) on both the top and bottom end lines so that each goal is 1 yard in from the sideline. For each grid/group, have half your players line up on the bottom end line and the other half on the top end line so that they are in line with the centre of the grid. The coach should stand on the side with a large supply of balls (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the coach shouting either ‘One!’ or ‘Two!’ When he shouts one, the players at the