By Soren Schamberg In today’s modern game, most displays of switching the field are high arching passes executed and brought down with the precision only years and years of practice can produce, or, passing on the ground around half field or further to build out from the back. We don’t always get a display of
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By Soren Schamberg With changes in management at Manchester United from Oligunnar Solskær to Ralf Rangnick, questions are abound regarding how things will be done differently. Initially, United took the field in what looked like a 4-3-2-1, but after the fist few moments of play, this formation was altered to a narrow 4-2-2-2. As it
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By Soren Schamberg The second most commonly heard phrase at a youth soccer field (coming behind by a distance to “shoot”) is “press”. But pressing is more than just players putting pressure on the opponent with the ball. For a proper press, everyone in the immediate effective vicinity must do it. This is demonstrated well
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By Søren Schamberg - A challenging topic to introduce to players to practice is getting tight on players when defending. Not letting attacking players turn takes timing, speed and strength. To set up, create a line with cones approximately 10 yards long. Place 2 small goals 10 yards apart and approximately 20 yards from the
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By Soren Schamberg During the last few seasons of the EPL, Manchester City has been known for playing a innovative 20 zone system. While the idea of breaking a pitch down into areas of play to train what to do in certain situations is similar to the 18 zone system, that’s where the similarities end.
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By Soren Schamberg When playing without the ball, finding the most effective position to keep the opponents from passing between the lines is important…and a challenge. Done correctly, this can stop even some of the most dynamic teams from advancing the ball during their attack. Using the term “shadow” speaks to exactly that, the space
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By Søren Schamberg - Being able to transition from defense to offence faster than your opponent can win games and from offense to defense can protect hard earned leads. What I refer to as the 4 v 4 + 4 can help hone a team's abilities and skills when it comes to transitions during play.
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By Soren Schamberg A long-time debate with regard to system of play is whether to mark a zone on the field despite who the player in the zone is, or, a man marking system which has an individual player mark an opponent. Currently, the epitome of these two systems would be Manchester City with their
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By Søren Schamberg - Overlap is an action associated mainly with full backs running around wingers when in final third. However, it can be used all over the pitch especially to execute in 2v1 situations. Overlap is a very good tool in overloaded and underloaded situations if done at the right time. It confuses the
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By Søren Schamberg - Being able to play out of pressure anywhere on the field is essential in both creating space and moving the ball up the field efficiently. This exercise creates situations to demand movement, communication and awareness to improve players abilities to get out of pressing situations. To set up, create a 10
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By Søren Schamberg - When referring to the basics of defending it is easy to make the topic sound simple or the player foolish for not knowing, but this is furthest from the truth. The term “basics'' should be reinforced as a foundation to build off of. It is a very slippery slope to get
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