It was billed as a title decider and as Messi versus Ronaldo. But while the same picture – Messi, fists clenched in celebration; Ronaldo, head down, shirt drawn sadly towards his face – occupied the covers of both Madrid sports dailies, in the aftermath of the match it was Xavi that most people were raving about. "Xavi's eye decides the league," said Marca; "Xavi," added Público, "hands down the sentence." While Messi and Pedro got the goals, Xavi gave them, with two wonderful assists: the first, a beautifully clipped first-time ball; the second, a perfectly weighted through ball. It was his sixth assist in two trips to the Bernabéu. And just in case anyone missed them – the Madrid defence, for example – he reproduced both assists, only for Casillas to save from Messi.
PassMaster: Xavi Hernández
Women's Professional Soccer Returns This Weekend
It's BAAAACK.
There was plenty of drama this inaugural off-season. The LA Sol where sold! FC Gold Pride got Marta & Abily! The league added TWO new teams in Atlanta and Philadelphia! Tobin Heath was the #1 pick in the first ever college draft!
So much to talk about.
This weekend the league opens and I'm pretty excited about it. The first of many TV games is Sunday @ 3pm on FSC.
Everyone should think about making a trip down to the Bay to watch a Gold Pride match. Here is their schedule. And now it's not as far of a drive as they have found a home in Hayward.
AND the WPS does Fantasy Soccer Leagues! They're giving away weekly prizes for the top fantasy score plus Puma prizes for the the top 10 at the end of the season and one Grand Prize! I already started a team and a league "Sac United eXtreme". Go there and sign up & match soccer wits with Me and your fellow eXtreme members.
Playing Direct: Visual Queues
Sometimes during the game our options to play to feet and combine to beat the defense is limited. When that happens we must be aware of other options - like attacking the space behind a team with a ball over the top.
In the clips below, Barcelona have clear established possession but their opponents are doing a good job preventing them from playing around them or through them.
Rewind the clip to the first replay. Watch how the forward makes eye-contact with the player on the ball and starts his run. Notice how he bends his run to stay onside while building up his speed.
The same situation happens a little later in the match.
Go back to the first replay again. Watch how the #9 offers for the ball to be played to his feet, but when the channel is closed off, he bends his run to attack the space behind the defense.
We will talk about these later this week in training.
Playing Options & Movement:
Player without the ball
Queue: Player with the ball as time → action: free yourself of marking & try to get behind the defense
Queue: Player with the ball is under pressure → action: go to support
Player with the ball
Queue: Movement to break free of marking → action: try to make an assist
Queue: Movement in support → action: give and go, wallpass, combo
Trouble at the back and how to fixit.
Here is some great analysis of how a back-four can be pulled around and the things they could have done to fix it. It is very important to learn from the mistakes of others.
Notice how there is no communication and everyone is ball watching instead of seeing both the ball and the player they're marking.
Group Defending Keys:
1. Nearest player puts pressure on the ball.
2. Force in one direction.
3. Keep play in front.
4. When to mark player when to cover spaces.
5. Move together.
6. Communication.
Wingers Work: Theo Walcott vs Barcelona
When we came on, his team was down 0-2 and needed a lift. Theo provided it.
Here is a good case-study of how all it takes is one motivated player to turn the tide of a game.
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