By Soren Schamberg
Being able to create space on a soccer field is essential to playing a progressive form of Soccer and for any team to feel and be successful on the field. Without space, the field becomes congested and impossible for attacking players to create and take scoring opportunities.
After selecting the formation, discussing with the players how to create space during the game is the next step.
There are two ways to do this - 1. across the field using the width of the field with wide players and 2. along the length of the field using the defensive line and the attacking line. Together and working off each other, a team can create space against almost any opposition and thus, create opportunities for scoring.
For our example, we will use a 4-3-3 formation against an opposing 4-3-3 for simplicity.
As shown, with the ball on the left of the field, both teams will tend to drift towards the ball, leaving space along the right flank.
With either the right midfielder or the right forward making a check run towards the ball, the defender is forced to follow the movement towards the middle of the field, opening more space for either a switching ball over the top or for the ball to be pivoted by the defending players from left to right, creating a possible opportunity.
The second example shows the back four playing a high line while the attacking forwards make checking runs away from goal, again forcing the defenders to go with them just enough for a well-timed pass over the top or out wide to be charged towards the by line and cut back towards the 6-yard box.
The process of checking-in to the player with the ball is intended to create space from where your teammate just was. If the defender doesn't follow, it’s a chance to move the ball and turn to advance. If the defender follows, space opens where the defender just was and another opportunity presents itself. The important aspect of checking-in is to get your players to understand that they may not receive the ball, the point of checking in is to get the other team to move and in effect, throw their formation off balance and to create opportunities.
By Soren Schamberg
