Tag Archives for " Booked "

1 Anaerobic Endurance of a Recovering Defender

By Jebreel Bubtana, BRASA, Brazilian Soccer Academy

This week’s exercise is designed to simulate a breakaway with a defender sprinting back to stop the attacker from scoring. This is a great exercise as not only does it work on the anaerobic fitness of the defenders but it is also a situation that the defender is very likely to face at some point during scrimmages or games. It is important to add an incentive for the defender in this exercise as they have to work very hard in this.

Set up and directions:
The attacker starts 40 yards away from goal with a ball and the defender starts 10 yards further back to the left or right of the attacker. You will also need someone in goal. The distances suggested can be modified depending on the ages of the players. For younger players, you can bring the distance in closer to goal and for older players you can push the starting point of the attacker to the halfway line, again with the defender starting 10 yards further back than the attacker (figure 1).

The exercise starts as soon as the attacker touches the ball. This is the cue for the defender to start

0 Short Passes or Direct Play?

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

Dortmund gain a point with well worked direct play

Borussia Dortmund are Bundesliga Champions, and showed one of the reasons why against Real Madrid. They can mix their play up well and some games require a different style to win, and Jürgen Klopp decided that this game would require a solid base defensively, and a direct approach, specifically through Lewandowski using the speed of Reus, Goetze and Grossenkrautz to get the ball into dangerous positions behind the Real Madrid defence. Both goals came from this approach and all 3 players mentioned contributed to the goals.

Reus loses him marker to give Lewandowski a passing option

As Piszczek has the ball, Reus drops off to offer a pass, but as he is pressured, Reus spins behind his marker and Piszczek plays the long pass to

0 Anaerobic Endurance Whilst Working on Passing and Moving

By Jebreel Bubtana, BRASA, Brazilian Soccer Academy

I use this regularly during my warm up not only to work on my player’s fitness but also to get them passing and moving, getting them in the right frame of mind at the start of a practice. Sprinting over short distances is seen constantly during a game of soccer and this exercise works on this as well as the passing technique of your team.

Set up and directions:
Set up an area 15 x 15 yards with 4 cones in the corners. You will need 4 players per square with 1 ball (figure 1). You can set this up multiple times depending on your squad size.

The exercise is a simple passing and moving exercise in the square but after every pass, the player who passes the ball must

1 Finishing and Anaerobic Conditioning through 1v1 Battles

Agility, Speed, 1v1 Battles and Composed Finishing by Daniel Severn

For this week’s article I’d like to share an exercise that helps to create competition in practice whilst focusing on some key aspects of the game; agility, speed, strength and finishing – all under match-like pressure. This is a great exercise that can be adjusted to suit all age groups and abilities.

To start the exercise I will offer a reward for the winning team. I have found differing rewards will help motivate different age groups/genders. A simple reward that works with ‘most’ ages can be taking a 1-0 lead into the scrimmage.

I like to offer rewards for winning team games as extra motivation for the players. Finding the right motivation can really help to push the players that extra step with their work rate, and therefore, their conditioning.

Using team challenges in sessions helps to create real competition between the players (something which is difficult to replicate from match day). Having competition between team mates will guarantee to get all players working 100%. This particular exercise will have the whole team cheering; motivating each other and working at flat out speeds. The agility and short sprints adds a

2 A Simple Exercise to Develop Short Passing Ability, Speed Dribbling Technique, Starting Speed and Anaerobic Capacity

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

Today’s exercise is a simple exercise that focuses on speed dribbling, short passing and sprinting over short distances. We have also structured the exercise so that the work-to-rest ratio used targets the player’s anaerobic capacity.

Set-up and Directions:
Divide your players into groups of three. For each group, set up a 15 by 10 yard rectangular grid. Have one the three players stand in the centre of the rectangular grid. Give the other two players a ball each and have them stand on the corners of one of the long sides of the rectangle (See Figure 1).

Play is initiated with the player at the bottom of the rectangle dribbling as quickly as possible, but under control until they

1 Improving Skills and Moves needed for 1 V 1 Encounters While Developing Multiple Components of Soccer Conditioning

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

Being able to take a player on 1 v 1 is an important and beneficial quality for soccer players of any playing position. For the attacking player to be successful in 1 v1 encounters, they must be able to beat the defender with a change of pace or by using a variety of moves and fakes to get around them. Players therefore need to be comfortable and confident at performing different moves, and doing so at speed.

Today’s activity will focus on teaching/practicing various moves and skills using an individual dribbling training format. We have also modified the exercise so that we can target a number of conditioning parameters that are necessary for soccer athletes.

Set-up and Design:

This exercise uses the space between the top of the 18-yard box and the half-way line for the playing area. Begin by setting up a 20 yard by 20 yard grid in the centre of the playing area. Place a small pylon 10 yards away from the middle of each side of this 20 by 20 grid. Give each cone a letter. Divide your players into pairs and give each group a different number. Have each Player dribble around inside this area performing a specific move (scissors, Ronaldinho, Stanley Matthews, etc.) as quickly as possible but under control (Figure 1).

(For simplicity, we have only used 6 players in the illustrations. However, you will likely have between 10 to 14 players when you choose to do this activity, which means 5 to 7 groups of two.)

After a few seconds, the coach will call a specific number as well as the letter of one of the

0 Ajax Attacking Tendencies

This article  was written by Dave Brown. He and a group of coaches observed training sessions, lectures and matches during the WCC tour of Dutch Professional Academies. These observations were made during a game featuring the reserve teams from Ajax FC and ADO Den Haag.  This complete article is part of the November issue of the WORLD CLASS COACHING Magazine and was uploaded to the Member Drills Database.

Jong Ajax (Ajax reserves) play their games at the Ajax training ground stadium on Monday nights in the Beloften Eredivisie, the highest reserve teams competition organized by the KNVB. Players must be aged 23 or below with three over-age “dispensation” players allowed on each team. The game we observed was a 3-1 victory over ADO Den Haag earned despite Ajax having a player sent off early in the second half for tussling with an opponent after a hard tackle.

Notable players on the reserve team included Mats Rits, an 18 year old Belgian U23 national team player marked for stardom, former PSV and Blackburn Rovers centerback André Ooijer aged 37, and striker Mounir El Hamdaoui, 27, who - though born in Rotterdam - has elected to play internationally for Morocco through parentage. El Hamdaoui previously scored 50 goals in 80 appearances for AZ Alkmaar before scoring 13 times in 26 appearances for Ajax in 2010. He is considered to be “exiled” to the reserve team after falling out with manager Frank De Boer.

Ajax youth teams famously play the same system as the senior team and in the case of the

0 Coach Goalscoring Chances, Not Scoring

By Waleed Zaghloul

A team that creates a lot of scoring chances in a variety of different ways is usually a sign of a well-coached team. On the other hand, a team that puts away its chances is usually a sign of good players. So as a coach, you are responsible for defining how your team will create chances and which of the following methods they need to utilize against a specific opponent. The coach needs to build his team’s arsenal of attack and make sure that they can score in a variety of different ways, otherwise the team will be easily shutout by superior teams.

Wing Play and Crosses

For years, wing play has been a very important and entertaining way for teams to create chances and score goals. Players like David Beckham became famous operating on the flank for Manchester United, Real Madrid and England. Developing a good winger requires finding a player that has a combination of important attributes.

A good winger must have very good physical attributes. The winger needs to have

0 Functional Training for the Central Defender and Striker: 1 v 1 to a Big Goal while Receiving under Pressure

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

In this week’s article, we continue with our series that focuses on developing position-specific conditioning needs. The exercise presented below targets both central defenders and strikers and is taken from my book entitled: Total Soccer Conditioning: A ball-Oriented Approach.

The objectives of this activity are to i) coach defenders and strikers the technique and tactics required in 1 v situations close to goal; ii) improve the ability of the striker to receive under pressure; and iii) develop anaerobic endurance.

Set-up and Directions: This activity uses the 18-yard box and the area just outside it for the playing area. Have 5 to 6 players, with a ball each, stand 5 yards outside of the 18-yard box. They should be spaced equally apart. Instruct your central defender and your striker to stand at the penalty spot facing the players with the ball (Figure 1).

Play is initiated by the striker who tries to evade their marker to receive a ball in space (Figure 2). They can receive the ball from any of the players on the

2 4-2-3 v 4-2-3-1 – Counter Attacking Practice

This article is an excerpt from our new best-selling book, Coaching the 4-2-3-1 by Stevie Grieve. The Blacks play 4-2-3-1 v the Yellow 4-2-3 formation. The Yellows play 9 v 10 and when they win possession, look to counter attack quickly over the line with passes and dribbles. Players must not go chasing the ball

2 A Modified Warm-Up Routine to Focus on Anaerobic Endurance and Agility

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

Today’s activity is one that I routinely use as a warm-up routine and to keep my players technically sharp. However, I recently modified the format of the exercise to focus on anaerobic endurance and agility. The great thing about this exercise is that you can vary the technical element in several ways to touch on a variety of skills. Another benefit is that it involves all players at the same time.

Set-up and Directions:

Divide your players into groups of two. Each pair will need a ball. For each group; have the player with the ball stand on edge of the 18 yard box with the ball in their hands. The partner of this player should stand at a small cone placed 10 yards away. Both players should in a straight line facing each other (Figure 1). Ensure each group is separated by about 3 to 4 yards.

Play begins with the players standing by the cones sprinting towards their partner on the

2 How To Exploit Space In the Center Midfield Area

By Vasco Mota Pereira 

Last Saturday André Villas-Boas' Tottenham defeated Manchester United in their own turf, something Hotspurs hadn't done in 23 years - which may well be just what the doctor ordered for AVB's team. Every single goal from the Lilywhites came from United worryingly tendency to be overrun against stronger sides, over the past couple of years (namely after Carlos Queiroz left).

With Carrick and Scholes in the center, and Nani and Giggs on the wings, pockets of space were bound to appear on United's defensive midfield, but the appalling display from his midfield and defense must have Sir Alex Ferguson quite worried. For that matter, Tottenham's goals will be dissected, in order to shed some light over the Red Devils' frailties.

Tottenham goal #1

There were some repetitive patterns throughout the match as far as defensive positioning is concerned. In this particular case, you can see

0 Developing Anaerobic Endurance and Finishing Skills with a Simple 2 v 2 v 2 Small-Sided Game

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

I was speaking to a coach earlier in the season and he said his team was playing really well but was having problems finishing. I thought to myself: “that’s a problem for so many teams”. Over the past few weeks I have been to, and analyzed, several games, and finishing really does seem to be a problem for so many teams. I have seen some spectacular displays of dribbling and combination play, but the players just can’t seem to get the ball into the back of the net.

In today’s exercise we will address the above problem with a simple 2 v 2 v 2 small-sided game that focuses on finishing. As with any other technique or skill, I believe the key to improving your player’s ability to finish is repetition. The format and structure of the exercise also allows your players to develop their anaerobic capacity. This is an excellent activity to use during the competitive season when match-preparation takes a high priority.

Set-up and Directions:

Divide your players into two groups of 6 players and then further divide each group into three teams of two. Make certain to give each team of two a different colour shirt. Set up a grid 40 yards long and 25 yards wide with a regular-sized goal (or large net) at both ends of the grid. There should be a goalkeeper in each net. One group of 6 plays at a time. The coach should stand on one of the sidelines with a large supply of balls (Figure 1).

Play is initiated with the coach playing a ball into any of the six players. It is each team for themselves. Players can score on either

5 Developing Great Foot-work with the use of Foot-Speed and Coordination Exercises - Part 2

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

In last week’s article we spoke about the importance of developing foot speed and coordination in our players. We highlighted the need for these qualities by wing backs for example, who need to be able to jockey and defend fast wingers in 1 v 1 situations. Fast and coordinated footwork are also necessary for attacking players trying to dribble their way past one or two defenders, or for goalkeepers that constantly have to move across the face of the goal as the ball is passed around inside their penalty box.

Last week we presented a basic footwork exercise that can be used earlier in the season or by younger players that are being introduced to this type of training for the first time. However, as your players advance into the season or become comfortable with the basic exercises, it is important that you progress to more complex footwork exercises to continuously challenge and develop your players. The following is a more advanced footwork exercise that you can use:

Set-up and Directions: Divide your players into pairs. For each group, set up four small cones so that they make a diamond shape. The length of each side of the diamond must be 1.5 yards. Have a player stand on one leg in the centre of the diamond facing their partner who is standing 2 yards away from the top cone. The player on the outside should have a ball in their hands (Figure 1).

When ready, instruct the player standing on one leg to hop to the top cone and then

0 Importance of the Final Pass In Scoring More Goals

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

Manchester City and Arsenal go into this match both undefeated in the league, with Arsenal looking like a different team after some major changes in the summer – losing Robin Van Persie and Alex Song, Pat Rice retiring and Steve Bould moving to become Assistant Manager, signing Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. Different doesn’t mean worse, but defensively solid and with a new talisman in Santi Cazorla.

Man City brought in two central midfielders and a centre back in Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell and Mateja Nastastic, but they still have major players like Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva.

In this game, both teams lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but City playing mainly on the counter attack with Arsenal enjoying 59% possession.

Arsenal’s defensive organisation in the 4-2-3-1

Aguero receives as Arsenal drop back to recover into defensive positions, the back 4 and 2 holding midfielders are in

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

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

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 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 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

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