Campeones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Picture This!
We talked about the power of positive thinking and imagery yesterday. So as a practice run, imagine yourself striking the ball this well.
Picture This!
Real Last GOTM Contest - Win $25
So many great goals last month. That should make this a hard on to pick. But it isn't.
Hint: Just head straight to Broadway. Or at least that's my guess.
Show Your Stuff
This week's compendium of tricks, flicks, and amazing soccer ideas. Enjoy.
Song: Nick Thayer - Can't Touch Me Now.
One touch passing attack
The passing on this clip is unbelievable. Would've been the greatest goal I ever saw if...
The movement and passing are mesmerizing.
GOTM Winner!!
And the winner is....
#10 - Fernando Torres vs Sunderland
The winner, for the second month running, Maddy's Mom!!!!! Way to go Ann! You either have a very discriminating eye for great goals or you picked the goal with the cutest boy in it. I can't tell which. Either way, you win the $25 gift certificate to Kombat Soccer.
Dribbling: Close Control
As we talked about last night, as much as we at Sac United stress dribble moves, what really matters in the skill of dribbling is close control. Each player has a unique talent set. It is important for each player to develop and hone her own moves, turns, tricks, & controls to suit her ability. Not everyone is a step-over type player. Practice on your own will help to solidify your soccer personality.
As an example I offer Leo Messi the worlds best player and his unique playing style. Messi has developed a method of dribbling that is unique in it's control and change of direction at full sprinting pace. It is this combination, along with a brave attacking spirit, that so confounds defenses. This combination goes right to the heart of what we talk about when teaching dribbling:
1. Change of speed [x]
2. Change of direction [x]
3. Control [x]
4. Vision [x]
5. Creativity/ Improvisation [x]
Here is a highlight clip of Messi from a recent match. It shows every soccer decision he made in the game on Wednesday night. Each dribble, each pass, each shot, each defensive challenge. Even the ones he made poor choices.
Practice at home to continue to develop your own soccer personality. The future is yours to create. You just have to train for it.
Futsal: Sunday 4:15-5:45 @ BGCG
Last Futsal Session of the year! Sunday April 18th 4:15-5:45.
You won't be disappointed.
GOTM Contest 3/2010 - Win a $25 Soccer Gift Certificate
You know the drill. Leave your choice in the comment thread with your name. This month, for a change, most of the goals are well placed shots - and one header.
Good luck! Descriptions to follow.
PassMaster: Xavi Hernández
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.
Women's Professional Soccer Returns This Weekend
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.
Tuesday's C. Ronaldo video
As requested by popular demand, the video from tonight's session.
The only way to get better is to practice. One your own. At home.
GK: Save of the Week
One for the GK's. Besides Bravo's 1v1 save on Sunday...
Man Utd's EDS.
World Class By Edvin Wan Der Sar
Uploaded by nongcream7. - Basketball, baseball, pro wrestling and more sports videos.
Can't Get Rid of Me Just Yet
Great Win today girls! The effort and the comeback and the team spirit were excellent.
I guess your not getting rid of me yet. But what that means for us is.
1) Two more $25 GOTM gift certificate give-aways
2) 12 more training session (potentially)
3) More Futsal (potentially)
4) More Saturday finishing training
5) More Sac United fun.
Hope to see everyone who can make it on Tuesday for a fun session.
Practice Review: Crossing & Finishing after Combination
We are improving our headers, but the easiest way for us to score off crosses in on the ground.
The keypoints when crossing & finishing:
Crossing
- Look up and identify the defenders & your targets
- Aim for the Second Six yard box.
- If you can, take your last touch at an angle towards the goal so you can get your hips turned.
- Cross the ball like a shot - hit it with pace.
- Get you foot and toe around the front of the ball to ensure you pull the ball away from goal
Finishing
- Timing and angels of the runs into the penalty area.
- Your body should face the target at the point of contact - frame the goal.
- Near & far post runs - communication.
- Decision on one-touch finish.
- Be aggressive and attack the ball.
- Near post runner must get in front of defender & GK.
Dribbling: Messi
He is the greatest player in the world. And he's only 22.
That the ball, to use the old cliché, really does seem to be tied to his feet. He doesn't even seem to kick it most of the time: like a faithful dog, it just runs alongside him. That he's like the kid in the under-10s team that picks the ball up, runs rings round everyone and scores; that he is exactly the kid he was when he was a kid. That he goes from 0-60 in no time and from 60-0 again in even less – what was so stunning about his goal against Valencia last weekend was how suddenly he stopped, sending the defender screeching by like a cartoon character off a cliff. --Sid Lowe
HowTo: Succeed in Dribbling
1. Change of speed [x]
2. Change of direction [x]
3. Control [x]
4. Vision [x]
5. Creativity/ Improvisation [x]
Who says you need to be able to use both feet? If you're that good with one, the other is just for standing.
Teamwork Goals
I am very proud of the progress the girls have made on the teamwork front. Our on-field chemistry is riding high as shown last weekend by some excellent team goals.
Here is another collection of TEAM GOALS to give you some soccer ideas for next weekend. Watch for one & two-touch passes, some trick flicks, but most of all watch the teamwork - when and how they make supporting runs. My Favorites, the two Machester United goals - Alan Smith for Manchester United, five one-touch passes the full length of the field finishing with a cool one-touch volley from outside the area, followed by Anderson and Carlos Tevez walking the ball into the net after a few give-and-goes (check it out at 2:36).
USA!USA!USA!
Here is a "Goal of a lifetime" for USA!USA!USA! midfielder Clint Dempsey.
Great piece of skill at the highest level from an American. It's good to see going into World Cup 2010!
The #10 Position: Wesley Sneijder
#10: Individual Tasks During Possession
- be open/available for a pass at the right moment
- pick up the ball from the defense/midfield
- pick up the ball from wingers
- cooperation with #6 & #8
- move into the open spaces
- stand wide
- control of ball possession/combination
- individual action
- capacity to score
- ground
- air
- high speed of play in tight spaces
- great insight related to space, depth, and finding the third player
- creative player
Here is a video of Wesley Sneijder, one of the best #10's in the world. You can go down the checklist of tasks in the clip below and in this game.
GOTM Winner - February 2010
And the winner is
#7.
The last entry and dark horse in the race Maddy's Mom.
Congrats to Ann for picking the right LEFT footed goal.
Let me know if you'd like $25 at Kombat or Soccer City.
Showboat
Here is a good little recap of all the best tricks, flicks & skills for the last week in soccer..
GOTM February 2010
This is your last chance to win a $25 Soccer Gift Certificate.
To enter the contest, go to the comments, write in the number of your favorite goal, and sign your name. It's that easy.
The winner will be announced next weekend, March 14th.
IT'S A TOUGH ONE THIS MONTH!
Here is the full file for download.
One major reason I started the GOTM contest was to help the girls conceptualize the different ways goals are scored. My hope is that by viewing these types of goals, we will extend their soccer imaginations and begin to experiment in practice and matches.
Finishing Training: Sat March 6th, 11:30am-1pm @ Granite
Hello eXtreme family,
I have scheduled field time this weekend for extra finishing training this Saturday 11:30am-1pm.
This is extra training & late notice so I understand if you can't make it. But as before I will be out there with as many soccer balls as I can roundup & will help any player that wants to improve there striking ability.
Here is the session description:
These sessions will emphasize the technical aspects of striking, bending, crossing and finishing the ball. Each player will get high repetitions in order to train their bodies to execute proper form on every shooting opportunity.
Hope to see you on Saturday.
Possession: Why We Possess
This is a follow up to our training last week. 24 passes in a scoring move. Many, Many one, two, and three touch passes. The ball never stops.
We possess don't possess for possession's sake. Go back and REVIEW OUR PRINCIPLES OF ATTACK. We possess to create opportunities to score.
* If we can go directly to goal, we will.
* If we can not, we will make the game wide, long, and hold on to the ball.
We Penetrate with:
1. dribble
2. pass
3. shot
Video Game Passing
Here is a great goal from last weekend. It reminds me of playing FIFA 2010.
For those interested the passing combination is:
(1) #9 back to the #6
(2) #6 to the forward running #2
(3) #2 to the well placed #11
Finishing Training -- Watch for Updates
We might be adding a weekend finishing session. I haven't confirmed the field, but will let you know when I do.
This will be a finishing and ball striking session:
These sessions will emphasize the technical aspects of striking, bending, crossing and finishing the ball. Each player will get high repetitions in order to train their bodies to execute proper form on every shooting opportunity.
GOTM Jan 2010 - Winner!!
And the winner of the $25 Soccer Gift certificate is......
#3
The winners, for the first time ever, are Mo, Tyra, and Yvette. That means this thing goes to a draw. Mo will get more names then Tyra & Yvette is the draw. Be there for the drama on Tuesday...
FYI: If you want to watch the entire broadcast, you can download the full Match Of The Day Here
Futsal This Weekend
There's a reminder about all my other Futsal Posts complete with skills videos.
Ever wondered what a Futsal Match looks like? Well wonder no more. Below is a complete match! Two Full 20-minute halves! Watch how they move, possess, Pass & Control, attack & especially watch for Falcão the best world player and other Brazilian top players. It's played very, very fast. Fascinating stuff.
First Half:
Second Half:
European Football: A Night At The Emirates
Some day I will go to England and watch a proper Premier League match at one of the great Stadiums (Old Trafford - ManUtd, Anfield - Liverpool, Stamford Bridge - Chelsea, or the Emirates - Arsenal). Until then I'll have to get me match atmosphere from video's like this. Enjoy.
GOTM $25 GiveAway - A few days left
Only TWO eXtreme members have voted for GOTM.
Go HERE AND VOTE NOW!
Scrimmage Cancelled -- Saturday Finishing Training Instead
Hello eXtreme Family,
I've had to cancel Saturday's Scrimmage because we don't have enough girls to play.
So for anyone who still wants to get some training in, I will be out at granite with about 50 soccer balls on Saturday and I will help anyone who wants to get better at their shooting technique.
January GOTM Contest -- Win $25 Soccer Gift Cert
It's time for the January Goal Of The Month Contest!
My monthly attempt to give away a $25 soccer gift certificate.
It's SIMPLE. Just leave a comment with the Goal you think is the most terrific & your name. Talk about an easy $25.
Remember, the GOTM is open to all members of the eXtreme family. Last month the Thompson's all entered the GOTM competition (that's four votes) and guess what... One of them won. Way to go guys. Moral of the story... Just vote.
January is a special month because there are only SIX GOALS to choose from!!
No hints this time. But I have a strong feeling about one of them...
Goals:
1) Clint Dempsey (USA!USA!USA! & Fulham) - Confident strike to say the least. The GOTM crew like distance shots & this is one of the best volleys of the year. Dempsey and Zamora are outnumbered on a counter attack (2 v 6). So after flicking the ball forward, Dempsey looks for the return. The ball sits up nicely and he uses the falling ball to create top-spin and give the Goalkeeper NO CHANCE. Get well soon kid. WoW!
2) Steven Pienaar (Everton) - A game winning counter-attack breakaway goal. What gets the GOTM nod is the style, composure, and inventiveness all under the pressure of 50,000 people cheering/jeering you. The replay shows just how delicate a chip this was. It cleared the GK by inches & then teased the chasing defenders by creeping over the line almost in slow-motion.wOW!
3) Ashley Cole (Chelsea) - The English were raving about this goal for many reasons. First, the pass from Center-Back John Terry, a incredible piece of skill on it's own to hit a sprinting teammate with a one-touch pass from 50 yards with the accuracy of Payton Manning. Second, Ashley Cole's first touch is incredible control, his second touch losses the defender with a Cruyff move(also watch on the replay how he also gives a head fake), and the third seals the deal. All on his left foot - mind. WOW!
4) Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn) - A stunning volley. Outside the left foot, under presure, moving away from goal, and he still slams it in the upper corner. I also like watching the second replay for the last defender on the line who tries to be a GK! LOL!
5) Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) - It starts with a good quick outlet from GK Cech to the #7. #7 find #11. #11 draws the defense and lays the ball back unselfishly to the #9. #9 does what good #9's do.... Score. A well executed goal for sure.
6) Wayne Rooney (ManUtd) - I've highlighted this goal on the blog before. Rooney's Lung-Busting 100 yard run takes him past 6 Arsenal defenders. It's an example of pure determination, talent and resolve. He starts the attack by providing a good outlet after his team defends a corner-kick. Then he gets on his horse. Demands the ball and dispatches the finish. It was a game-winning moment! wow!
Winner will be revealed in a Week! So get your votes in early. In case of a tie, we will draw names from a hat of the winners.
NorCal State Cup - Second Round Schedule
The Schedule will be posted Feb. 15.
We will let you know as soon as we hear from NorCal.
Skills of the Week
The next South Korean superstar recently touched down in Holland, as Ajax snapped up 18-year-old striker Hyun-jun Suk. Here he shows his best Taekwondo skills to bring down an over-hit pass in training. Talk about eXtreme control. His teammates reaction is also pretty priceless. (although whoever put this video together doesn't seem to know the difference between Chinese & Korean martial arts... but then I guess he couldn't use that fun song....)
Could You Control The Ball Above Your Head?
More after the "Read More".
Can You Score From Behind The Goal?
Can You Score With Your Back To Goal?
Can You Score With Your Back To Goal #2?
Makes me want to head out to the backyard and practice.
Cancelled - Saturday Finishing
I have been informed another Sac United Team needs Granite Saturday Morning for a match at the time I scheduled the field for. Combined with the stormy weather report, (but keep in mind that's a beautiful day for soccer in WA) it has convinced me to relinquish the field. We will try again next weekend.
Sorry for all the scheduling mayhem this week!
Please except this video of Wayne Rooney vs. Cristiano Ronaldo in a counter-attack race as an apology.
9.2 Sec - The best bloopers are a click away
Once again my apologies.
Who Does This Dribble Move Remind You Of???
Here is a great piece of trickery from last weekend in soccer. It also looks like a skill that some of us have seen from the girls at futsal...
Take a closer look.
Full highlights after the fold - click "Read More". You won't be disappointed.
Assists of the Week
I really like this series of videos because it shows the myriad of team combos & that it takes two (or more) to create a goal. These players know and trust their teammates ability and vision. Great runs, and great passes galore. Watch for the back-heels!
The Best Assist All Year...
Everyone in Europe is going bonkers for this marvelous assist...
So for your enjoyment.. The vision, brilliance, deception, style... a great back-heel!
He could have scored himself. But scoring would have been too easy; in the words of one of Guti's former team-mates, it would have been "too vulgar". Too ordinary. Too dull. Too normal. Too so what? Guti, said AS's editor Alfredo Relaño, is a cross between Danny Blanchflower and Curro Romero. Blanchflower once claimed that "the game is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom," while Curro Romero was a bullfighter. And in bullfighting, it is not about the result, invariably 6-0, but the art, the style, the skill. The means, not the end.
Saturday Morning Super Strikers
Confirmed:
Saturday Feb 6th, 9-10:30am @ Granite :: All Finishing Training
Bring your shootin' boots!
GameNotes: eXtreme 2 (2) - Demolition 4 (0)
Training matches are useful for us to analyze what we are doing well, and what we need to work on without the pressures of a real game. Last Saturday's game will go a long way to helping us perform better in the last few months.
We were cruising in the first half on Saturday. We were in control, two goals up and it looked like we could get more.
The hard work the girls have put in working on our attacking skills really showed in the first half. I feel we combined well in attack with good mobility of our runs, the quickness and sharpness of our passing & our attacking attitude. It was the first time the girls really made a determined team-effort to get behind the opposition and cause problems with our cleaver running. Full marks to LP for such a confident performance at the #10 orchestrating the attack & to Sierra for bagging the two goals - although credit for each goal needs to be shared with the team as both were the product of good team play.
Another positive from Saturday was our soccer progress with understanding how to pressure the ball in the attacking half. Our wingers & full-backs did a much better job channeling their attacks to the outside and anticipating (almost inviting) the pass into areas that we could outnumber them and win the ball back. The second goal was a direct result of good work to this affect by Lindsey Bock & Mo.
But we made some mistakes defensively and Demolition got back into the game. In the second half we did not have the same fluency or control in the game, not the same pace.
I am a little disappointed with how easily we were undone by direct running. While the Demolition's first goal was a great shot from well outside the area, the last three were the result of us being caught by one quick & determined player.
I'm not sure if it was our lack of match practice or something as simple as our fitness, but we will be spending time focusing on fixing this problem.
Overall though I am pleased with the training match and might ask the Demolition for a rematch in February.
Thank you for your continued support.
Training Match This Saturday Jan. 30th @ 10am - Elk Grove HS
To keep us match sharp I have scheduled a training match this Saturday @ 10am with We Ball Demolition.
The scrimmage will be at Elk Grove HS on the stadium field which is turf. Here is the address:
Elk Grove HS
9800 Elk Grove Florin Road
Elk Grove, CA
Please be there @ 9:30. Wear Red.
Freestyle Dribbling Practice
While there is a limited practical game application for some freestyle dribbling, by practicing them you gain a mastery over the ball that builds your soccer confidence.
It will also help you at futsal....
More After the jump...
For more check out the Masters Of The Game on YouTube.
Here is a quick tutorial you can watch and practice at home.
Goals Goals Goals Goals
Great goals come from all over the world & at every division.
Here is a great compilation of the best goals from the recently finished J-League - Division 2 (that's the second division). By the looks of it, there are some great goals in that league!!
Put it on full-screen for the best results....
Watch. Enjoy. Try to replicate in training.
Meeting Your Goals: Concentration & Self-Evaluation
If you have a desire to play the best you can, you have to train your mind as well as your body. With patience, a little hard work and consistent practice, you can develop the mind of a champion. Mental strength takes practice.
First on Concentration from Playing Out of Your Mind:
Concentration is one of the key mental skills responsible for athletic excellence. A mentally tough player is someone who knows HOW to concentrate and can do it under pressure. "Head cases" are those players who can not control their focus of concentration when it counts... Show me a player who chokes or frequently gets psyched out and I will show you someone whose focus DIRECTLY causes her problems.
Concentration is a TWO PART SKILL:
#1 - YOU MUST CATCH YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE MENTALLY LOSING YOUR FOCUS OR DRIFTING OFF.
#2 - YOU MUST QUICKLY AND GENTLY BRING YOURSELF BACK TO THE RIGHT FOCUS.
CONCENTRATION IS A PARADOXICAL SKILL. You learn to concentrate by catching yourself when you are NOT concentrating and then bringing yourself back.
CONCENTRATION is a Passive, let-it-happen skill. You concentrate with "effortless effort". When you are concentrating well, you are NOT thinking about it, you are just doing it.
To that I would add the HERE & NOW Rule: You want to do what you are doing mentally while you are doing it physically. Not looking BACK at a mistake you made, or an incident that happened with your best friend the night before. And not looking into the future thinking and worrying about what will happen, "what if we let another goal in". Play the game. Be in the NOW! Do what your doing - nothing else and enjoy doing it.
This mentality starts when you show up to trainings or to a game.
Self-Evaluation & Coaching:
To give yourself a clearer picture of who you are as a player and what you want to get out of the game (Comp Soccer Player, High School Starter, earning a college scholarship, National Team Member) you need to ask yourself some questions.
- What am I doing to improve my game?
- What do I need to work on?
- How can I get better?
- Am I doing everything to help me become a better player/teammate?
- Do I give everything, every time I train?
- Is my attitude right?
- Do I eat the foods that will help me perform at my peak?
- Am I mentally tough enough?
- Am I brave enough to really look at my weaknesses and willing to work on them?
HowTo: Take Care Of Your Soccer Shoes
It is especially important to take care of your soccer shoes in the winter time.
A good pair of boots can improve your touch and feel for the ball resulting in more success in passing & receiving. It gives you better foot support for maintaining a high speed of play and just makes things nice for your feet. So spend some time to take care of your shoes to make them perform better & last longer. Your feet and your parents will thank you.
Here's a quick run down of some of the key soccer shoe care tips:
Shoe Care Tips
- Clean your shoes after practice so the dirt doesn't damage the leather and the shoes will last longer. Dirt can bring moisture out of the leather and ruin them - make them over dry and begin to crack. The best thing is warm water and a washcloth.
- If really wet, say after a rain storm when the field is soaked, place newspaper inside the shoe to soak up the water so the shoes aren't over stretched and lose shape.
- Polish your shoes after they dry out - this will preserve the leather and make them last. If your shoe is too dry it could stiffen and crack.
- A shoe care product like leather food or mink oil will also help soften and condition the leather of the shoe. Use Manchester OR Chelsea Leather Food. Both are available at Kombat! Leather Food & Mink Oil also make your shoes a little water resistant.
- Store shoes in a breathable bag - nothing sealed but one with holes.
Shoe Care Don'ts
- Don't put shoes in front of heater or in the dryer - may crack the leather if they get too try.
- Don't wear your shoes on the cement or a hard surface. This will wear down the cleats and is also dangerous. You could slip and fall.
- Don't use sealing type products like wax or silicone based products to polish shoes.
- Don't use soaps or cleaning products. Water and a washcloth should do the trick.
- Don't seal them in a plastic bag where the shoes can't dry out. Even when the field isn't wet your shoes will soak up your own sweat. After playing they need to be aired out - don't just leave them trapped in your bag until the next training session.
Benefits of Good Leather Boots:
- Light weight
- Molds to your foot
- Better feel and touch
Negatives of Good Leather Boots:
- Less durable and won't last as long
A good pair of soccer shoes nowadays can cost over a hundred dollars, that's why it's even more important to take care of them. If you do take care of them they can last for a number of years, if you don't, you'll have to discard what might become a favoriate pair of shoes earlier than you wanted.
101 ways to Score a Goal
Lionel Messi is the undisputed best player in the world right now. Recently he scored his 101st goal for Barcelona. It took him a little over 4 years to score all those goals - he started when he was 17.
The following videos showcase the many ways to create scoring opportunities. Watch how he looks to take players on, his determination, his effort, and the teamwork it requires to score so many goals.
Whose ready for shooting practice?
GOTM Winner 12.09
I thought I made it easy. I thought I left a sure-fire hint.... oh well.
The winner is....
Well done Tyra & Mo. Troy. Unimpressed, huhn.
We will have our first ever GOTM draw this Thursday!!! Be there!
December GOTM Competition - $25 Soccer Certificate
Get your votes in quick. The winner will be announced after the weekend.
December was a great month for goals, but there is one that stands a long way out... So get your vote into the lottery.
Remember this competition is open to all eXtreme players and parents.
Goal rundown: (Quickstyle)
1. Paul Scholes - This is the classic of the GOTM selections. Scholes has done this for years. Watch how he chest-controls the ball to the side to escape the defender and smashes the HALF-volley. I didn't realize at the time, or even until watching it 5-6 times, but Scholes is right footed... This bullet is with his left.
2. Darren Gibson - Remarkable in it's power & venom, this shot beat every camera to the net. None of the replies from this game caught the ball hitting the back of the net.. It was moving that fast.
3. Charles N'Zogbia - Great piece of skill and a fine example of how left-footed players can attack down the right & vice versa.
4. Nedad Milijas - Great hit. The classic Shakey = Strike the high-center of the ball. This creates dip & swerve which GK's hate.
5. Maynor Figueroa - WoW!!!
6. James Milner - WoW!!
7. Matthew Taylor - Great freekick.
8. Darren Bent - Excellent example of how two players working together can beat an entire defense. The target player finds the #10, who has made a run out wide, and then goes for goal and gets a great cross early cross in return. The finish isn't bad either. Kinda reminds me of Kayla & Natalie's combination last weekend vs. Golden Valley that almost led to a great goal.
9. Cesc Fabregas - I've talked with the team & some of the players about putting your mark on the game. Well this goal is on the list because it does just that. You can read the full story is here. Quick version: Arsenal are chasing the title so every point counts & need a win but are struggling so.. on comes super-sub Fabregas (w/ recent hamstring injury) & 20 minutes later when he is subbed off Arsenal are up 2-0 & he scored both.
10. Aaron Ramsey - Another but your stamp on the game moment. Aaron Ramsey is a young 19 year-old Welshman trying to break into the starting line-up at Arsenal. Here he does it all: tackle in midfield, attack, cut, and a slamming finish.
Get your votes in by the weekend so your eligible of the $25 Soccer Certificate to Kombat or Soccer City.
Practice Review: The Pressing Mentality - Pressure Defending
The philosophy of the Sac United player, from our academy upwards, has always been to play high pressure, attacking soccer. When we have the ball our players are encouraged to be positive and take players on, to possess with style. When they have the ball, we pressure the ball to win it back close to their goal.
The Ingredients of The Pressing Game
We can view the pressing game under the following three headings:
- Pressure
- Possession
- Penetration
Pressing Mentality. In the Pressing Game, players must be prepared to work incessantly, but even more important, they must have the capacity to concentrate and to react positively and immediately to new situations. Open, receptive and adaptable soccer minds are required.
- Pressure - close down the space when the ball moves (slightly stand-off the attacker, anticipate the pass, arrive as the ball arrives)
- communicate: hold. tight. force left.
- channel: towards your help
Second Defenders: the closer you are to the ball the closer you are to the attacker (stand off slightly (encourage the pass into a player you can pressure).
Third Defenders: Balance the defensive space, read the play, constant communication.
Squeezing the space: The back four do not permit large gaps to appear between them and the midfield. The depth and cover deteriorates the further the defender is from the ball. When the ball is on one wing, defending full-back on the opposite side will be in line with the central defender nearest to him. The GK must be prepared to act as sweeper. Offside is a by-product of this arrangement.
Leadership is an important factor if the group's efforts are to be synchronized.
Match of Year: 2009 - iPod/iPhone download
Here is what I consider to be last years game of the year. Offered in iPod Touch/iPhone format for the drive down to Modesto.
Arsenal vs Liverpool at Anfield (Liverpool's ground) during the business end of the season, with Liverpool leading the league but with Manchester United breathing down there necks.
If your pressed for time you can skip the first 25 minutes, but don't turn away after that. The second half is particularly impressive. This has all the spectacle, comebacks, twists, great goals and a sting at the end.
**There are 2 files in FIVE .rar segments. After you have downloaded all the segments for each file you can expand it. If you're on a mac try UnRarX.
Practice Review: January 4
Principles of Possession & Attack:
- Attacking options
- Wall pass (00:16 mark)
- Overlap
- Three Player Combo
- Angles of Support
- Width
- Depth
- Decisions
- Xavi - "I pass and I move, I help you, I look for you, I stop, I raise my head, I look and above all, I open up the field."
- To combine with each other takes: Communication, Vision, Awareness & Faith in each others abilities.
- Look before you receive the ball.
- Be willing to take risks at the right moment
We work on Patterns of Play to give the players the tools to open up space for each other. When we create space because that produces scoring opportunities. It is up to each players to identify these soccer situations in open play and make good soccer decisions based on what the defending team presents. Every Sac United player has the capability to be a playmaker.
When passing to a player in space in the attacking half it is OK to tell them "take on your defender" or tell them options you see. For example, if you switch the point of attack with a pass to the opposite side of the field, it is ok to encourage that player forward by telling her the options you see. "Find the 7!", "Can you get a cross?", "Use the 9!" are good examples of how you can pass along a soccer idea that helps your teammates.
HowTo: Joining the Attack
The following clip provides an excellent example of how Central players sometimes have to go past the #9.
Watch at the 1 minute mark as the #9 comes back into midfield to pick-up the ball. As the #9 holds up the ball with two protected touches, he plays a possession pass out to the #11 and offers support - this drags a defender with him. In this case, the #8 is able to read his teammates options and decides to take a chance. He bursts through into the space the #9 just left trying to find space for a 1v1 with the last defender.
The finish isn't bad either.
The flow of this attack displays the possession & attacking principles we worked on yesterday at training.
It is important that we continue to develop the mentality to put these tools to use in the attacking half.
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