38
Youth Training
Tactics: Offense
Building more creative attackers
Give your players the skills they need for versatile, original offensive play
by Maren Meinert and Bettina Wiegmann, head coaches, German U20 womens and U15 girls teams
Training game situations: Simulate and simplify
Some artists might argue with the claim made by the title of this article: Creativity is a skill that has to do with imagination and inventiveness, not something you can build! But the truth is, you really can help your players play more creatively, because creativity is more broadly defined in soccer than in art. It doesnt mean constantly pulling new moves out of a hat; it means selecting the optimal solution for any situation and instantly executing it. That optimal solution may be simple or complex, a solo play or a combination. How can you build your players repertoire of solutions to choose from? On the following pages well show you, using a 5 v. 6 attack in the midfield as our sample situation. Its not just a question of attacking on the wing or up the middlethe important thing is to learn solutions for both paths! To train this situation, we freeze the action, reduce space and number of players to the minimum necessary, ask players to suggest some solutions and then show them others.
INFO: Creative play
Creativity in soccer is ...
... having a repertoire of responses to various defense strategies ... immediately recognizing game situations and thinking of solutions ... finding the right solution at the critical moment ... not doing what opponents expect!
Photo: Axel Heimken
My kingdom for a creative player! Are there any coaches out there who havent said as much, with a sigh of despair? By closing down space and outnumbering attackers near the ball, ball-oriented defenses put a premium on quick and unexpected offensive moves such as the dummy pass. In this article Maren Meinert, the creative mastermind of the team that won the Womens World Cup in 2003, and Bettina Wiegmann, whose coach Tina Theune called her the worlds best defensive midfielder during that same era, will show you just how many solutions there are to a typical game situation, and how you can teach your players to find them.
YOUTh TraINING
Mobile Magnetic Coaching Board Back by popular demand! This versatile teaching tool comes with two sets of numbered magnets and a transportation tube. Take notes with chalk, clean with wet cloth, roll it up and go! Green and white, 41" x 37" $169.99
Success in Soccer 6/12
39
tools for tactics & agility training
Magnetic Clipboard
Integrated clip holds notepad or loose sheets in place Dry-erasable Magnetic Pen holder 13.5" x 9.2" Markers and
magnets not included $29.99
Agility Cones with Carrier Set of 20, available in two color combinations: (orange and black or orange and white) and three heights (2", 4" or 6.5"). $69.99
Agility Poles Excellent for agility training, with spikes for solid anchoring on the field. Available in red, white, blue and yellow. 70" x 1.2" $14.99
Tactics Board Small enough to be portable but big enough to easily visualize tactics. With erasable marker and magnets. 12" x 18" $29.99
Agility Pole Band Put the ends of this elastic band around two poles (not included) to create a hurdle for jumping or coordination training! Red, with hookand-loop fasteners. 51" x 1.6" $14.99
Agility Hurdle Poles These poles are ideal for coordination runs, or for building mini hurdles in combination with agility cones. Available in red, white, blue and yellow. Solid plastic construction. 39.37" x 1" $9.99 each, or $59.99 for set of 8
YOUR ULTIMATE COACHING EDUCATION RESOURCE
tel. (888) 828-4263 (U.S. only) or (505) 889-3680; fax (505) 883-4577; web: www.successinsoccer.com
40
Youth Training
Tactics: Offense
Building more creative attackers
CreaTIve SOlUTIONS TO OFFeNSIve SITUaTIONS Game situation: attack up the middle
aSpeCTS aNd OBjeCTIveS
Fast, direct path to goal XX Increased risk of losing ball in 1 v. 1 XX situations Numbers-up opponent in tight space XX Be XX decisive and assertive, and act fast!
Offensive options taught in this game 1 Solo play
2 Wall pass
9 10 6 10
Sequence
6 breaks through on a solo dribbling run and finishes with a long shot.
Sequence
6 plays a wall pass with 9 or AT and then finishes.
DEVEloPing Vision & aWarEnEss
Improving players field vision, i.e. their awareness of everything around them, will help them become much more dynamic and effective. Train the essential skills and habits required for expert field vision, so that players can anticipate the play, make better decisions and do the right thing at the right time. Soccer eyeQ DVD Vol. 1: 72 min., reg. $39.99, now on sale for just $29.99! To order (North/South America only), contact SIS: tel. (888) 828-4263 (U.S. only) or (505) 889-3680; fax (505) 883-4577; web: www.successinsoccer.com
Success in Soccer 6/12
41
Training situation: essential elements
Setup
Mark out a 30-yard-wide zone between a goal with goalkeeper
and a goal line marked on the centerline. Reduce the number of players to 3 v. 4: three attackers (defensive midfielder 6, offensive midfielder AT and forward 9) against two defensive midfielders and two inside defenders.
Sequence
6 tries to score, on either a solo run or a combination with 9
and/or AT.
If the defenders win the ball, they must dribble across the at-
tackers goal line to score.
dummy pass
pass to 9 and shot
9 10 10 6
Sequence
6 passes to 9, who checks toward the ball but then lets it roll between his legs to AT, who sprints forward to receive it. AT finishes, either directly or after a short dribbling run.
Sequence
6 passes to 9, who controls the ball while turning to the in-
side and then finishes, either directly or after a short dribbling run.
Tips
As soon as 6 passes, AT needs to sprint to a position close to
Tips
Receivers should loudly call for the ball in all sequences. 9 should quickly check away before checking to the ball. The pass to 9 should be hard and solidly weighted.
9 (about six feet away) so that she can immediately receive the ball and either start dribbling or take a shot. It can be helpful for players to think of themselves as playing two passes at once. In all passing options, the forward pass to 9 must be played with force and precision. Otherwise 9 wont be able to let the ball roll through to AT (the second pass) or lay it off (another second pass) without having to give it an extra push.
variations
6 passes to 9, who lays off to AT, who sprints up the wing to
receive.
AT checks to the inside as soon as 6 passes to 9, who lays
off to AT.
42
Youth Training
Tactics: Offense
Building more creative attackers
CreaTIve SOlUTIONS TO OFFeNSIve SITUaTIONS Game situation: attack on the wing
aSpeCTS aNd OBjeCTIveS
Wing player spreads compact defense XX Open up space in middle XX Set up shot with cross or back pass XX Try to finish within three moves XX
Offensive options taught in this game 1 endline run and cross
2 Three-player combination 1
9 10 6
10 6
Sequence
7 quickly checks toward the ball, receives a pass from 6 and then tries to break through to the endline. 9 and AT run into assigned zones in front of the goal. 6 follows them and shows for a pass to the middle, standing either inside or just outside the box. 7 plays either a cross or a back pass.
Sequence
6 passes to 9, who plays a pass into space for 7 to run onto
on the wing. 9 and AT cross paths in front of the goal (near and far posts). 6 follows them and shows for a pass to the middle, standing inside the penalty box.
Tips
6 needs to watch for 7 to get open! 9 and AT should ideally cross paths (near and far posts).
Tip
7 should check toward the ball, then start sprinting forward as
soon as 6 passes it.
variation
After checking toward the ball, 7 starts a forward run, setting
variation
After receiving the ball, 9 plays a square pass to 7, who then
up 6 to play a pass into space.
tries to break through to the endline.
Success in Soccer 6/12
43
Training situation: essential elements
Setup
Field is a half minus one wing (i.e. sideline to penalty box side-
line) with a goal line marked on the centerline. Teams play 4 v. 5 on a goal with goalkeeper: four attackers (defensive midfielder 6, offensive midfielder AT, forward 9 and wing player 7) against two defensive midfielders, two inside defenders and one wing player.
Sequence
6 tries to score, on either a solo run or a combination with 9
and/or 7 and/or AT.
If the defenders win the ball, they must dribble across the at-
tackers goal line to score.
Three-player combination 2
Overlapping run
9 9 10 6 7 10 6 7
Sequence
This sequence starts out like the variation on the previous sequence: 9 receives the ball from 6 and plays a square pass to 7. Now, however, 9 follows the ball onto the wing. 7 dribbles rapidly to the inside, into the gap opened up by 9, and finishes.
Sequence
6 passes to 7 and then follows the ball onto the wing. 7 sees the outside run and starts dribbling to the inside, tying
up the oppositions outside defender. 7 takes advantage of this 2 v. 1 situation to play a pass into space for 6, who then either dribbles to the inside and plays a cross to 9 and AT or dribbles to the endline and plays a back pass to 7.
Tip
Watch pass weight and player spacing carefully: 9 needs to have
Tips
7 should dribble with the foot farther away from her opponent. 6 should give the signal as soon as 7 is able to pass.
room for her outside run (i.e. attackers should not be too close).
variations
7 lays off to 9, then runs into the middle to show for a cross. 7 dribbles to the inside, then passes to 9. 7 dribbles to the inside and plays a wall pass with AT.
variations
Instead of passing to 6, 7 keeps dribbling into the middle and
then shoots.
7 plays a wall pass with AT.
