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.
GameNotes: eXtreme 2 (2) - Demolition 4 (0)
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.
