Play Soccer Like The Pros
Play Soccer Like The Pros
In every undertaking there are usually certain principals that are more important than others. In our goal of becoming the best soccer players in the world we have to pay close attention to what these principals are. We may take for granted watching a team such as Barcelona dominate play week in and week out but it is unmistakable that their speed of distribution plays a major role in their success and it makes a lot of sense. If you can play the ball faster than your opponents can adjust it gives you a huge advantage in attack, especially in tight quarters in front of the goal. This is something that has to be practiced and practiced after the basic soccer skills have been thoroughly mastered.
Now that we know this key principal what is another? I believe having available players to distribute the ball to is another. In watching Barcelona play I notice that the team often moves in unison of five players together over twenty or thirty yards, four in a square and one in the middle. This seems very smart since it gives the player with the ball many different options. This is also something that to implement takes a very sharp soccer coach that is able to discipline his soccer players in this manner.
We must note that these tactical soccer maneuvers are used often and seem to be effortlessly preformed by the best soccer players in the world, but like anything else done successfully laser like focus to execution and repetition is the key to success. I have been fortunate to have trained at one of the best sport schools in Germany many years ago and the coaches were relentless with their expectations of perfection to even the smallest detail. Young players are expected to focus and concentrate to make the training as beneficial as possible keeping in mind the restraints of time available for team training.
I would suggest that U.S. soccer coaches may take a lesson from German soccer coaches in demanding high levels of skills during practice sessions. During the game is a different manner as I don’t believe during the game is time to critique a players performance.
I think that the U.S. is clearly on the right path to becoming a world soccer power however I think we need to sharpen our game with more intense training sessions for the top players and probably having these sessions more often in the range of three to four training sessions per week and also encourage individual player practice at home.
Richard Moore
Inventor-
The Kick Coach
www.thekickcoach.
