by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
I always stress that it is important with youth soccer training that skill development should come before winning games. However, since people are also naturally interested in winning games, both achievements must actually go hand in hand. But it must be remembered that in the long hall, skills are paramount for winning against competition. Let us then review some important skills that are a prerequisite for winning soccer games.
There are three important factors for winning against similar equally matched teams. While there are other factors, young players should be aware of these very important ones. These factors are as follows: to control the ball, to have a strong correctly trained defense and to develop endurance. With young players I always stress controlled play with accurate passing and controlled receiving (trapping and shielding)--for the ten field players. Along with this, dribbling must become second nature. With specific defensive player training, the goalkeeper must learn to command the team’s defenses. Finally, all players should stay in condition by running on their own. These are necessary skills for any player wishing to continue in this sport. As far as control, defense and endurance goes, the coach must assure that he or she knows what is both necessary and as well as what is unnecessary towards producing this aim. So with this introduction, I would like to discuss two games where the topics of this article apply.
Many skillful games either start off by playing a controlled passing game or settle down shortly after the start whistle, say in ten to fifteen minutes into the game. This was the way the Italian soccer match with Fiorentina vs. Udinese began on the Nov. 11, 2007 game—they were off to a slow start. Shortly after the slow start, the teams settled down into one of a controlled passing game--until about the last quarter of play. The first two goals were headers and difficult to defend against. But the second goal for Udinese, which came after about 63 minutes of play, should have been prevented by a Fiorentina defenseman obscuring the shot. Up to that last goal, both teams played a good passing game. Then in the latter part of the second half, the game became one where long-ball soccer dominated the game. With long kicks up field, the controlled passing game was in the past as each team endeavored to employ these long kicks to force another goal. It is my opinion that it is a fairly common occurrence to see teams switch from playing controlled ball soccer to kickball in order to force a goal. This is totally offensive soccer with little reliance on playing a strong defensive game of soccer along with controlled short passes: Defense soccer is the type of soccer that I strongly recommend. The score ended up with Udinese 2 and Fiorentina 1.
In addition to poor ball control in the last quarter, it often follows that roughness becomes the norm--as it did in this game. Unfortunately, excessive roughness seems to have become more and more commonplace in this sport, such as with serious fouls--tripping and pushing at high speeds from behind became common. As for myself, I see little in the way of gaining an advantage by substituting excessive fouls and roughness for good skillful play. The first yellow card was given out after about 34 minutes of play with only three given in total. I believe that more should have been given. A red card was given out after about 80 minutes of play.
On the same day, I watched the ACC Finals Women’s Soccer Championship game with FSU--Florida State University against NCU--North Carolina University. While roughness was not a problem, defense, control and endurance were issues. I will explain. It was a well-played game for much of it and a pleasure to watch: The women seem to have grasped onto playing a controlled passing game. However, as I often stress, correct defensive play is the way to win games and I believe it was a most important factor here. The North Carolina team had a super defense by maintaining correct positioning and as such only gave Florida a few good chances to get into good scoring positions.
After the second half began, Florida outplayed North Carolina with controlled passing and totally dominated the field of play, for a while a least. It was quite a start for the second half. However, they could not keep up the pace. While both teams played hard, the UNC’s control had slipped away; it appeared that the players were running out of steam. This was more apparent for the Florida Team than with North Carolina. The resulting play then became a game where both teams tried to force a goal with several long balls down field. But as usual with this type of play, goals did not come. However, North Carolina having more energy had a few good tries to score in the last quarter because the Florida defense was not holding itself in good form. The final score was UNC 1, FSU 0.
All three issues were at play here and a review of these important factors can help shed some light on the outcome of both games discussed. Many coaches stress attack soccer, but there is actually much more to the game then just teaching attack to the forward players as the teams defense is in reality the strength of the team. It behooves all coaches to accept and demand proper defensive strategy, insist upon short ground passes (whenever possible) for the whole game and close-to-the-body traps (shielded when necessary), and endurance. From experience, if all three factors are done correctly, more games are won then lost; but with the following clarifications:
1. The opponents are not in a higher classification (such as a second division team against a first division team).
2. The opponents are not made up of older players (naturally, the latter applies to youth teams only).
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
No. 20--Palermo vs. Fiorentina Italian Soccer: Confused Defense
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
Palermo had a victory over Fiorentina 2 to 0 on December 8, 2007. Palermo’s Fabrizio Miccoli scored the first goal at about 18 minutes into the game. He was able to dribble through the Fiorentina defense and had an open shot at the goal with only the goalie to oppose him. Fiorentina had many chances in the first half to score, but failed to do so.
The second half was a little more interesting. Fiorentina had several shots on goal but again failed in their attempts. Their best soccer in this half lasted for only for the first ten minutes, but many shots were very high over the goal. Palermo dominated the rest of the game. With 80 minutes on the clock, Palermo’s Simplicio scored in a similar fashion as that of the first scored goal; that is, no defenseman opposed him except for the goalkeeper.
It is my opinion that the Fiorentina defense was confused most of the game. Too, I beleive that Fiorentina’s Jorgenson, a powerful defender played up too far, helping out on attacks. This type of situation often leaves the goal unprotected. However, his shoulder-charging tackles are to be commended as this type of charge allows for player contact and is within the Laws of the Game. These shoulder-charging tackles allowed him to end up with the ball a few times.
The game was pretty rough, as the referee did not make too many calls on fouls in the second half.
Palermo deserved to win as they had a good defensive team and made it difficult for Fiorentina to get clear shots on goal. Palermo also dominated the last 35 minutes of the second half.
Here is my advice for young players and coaches.
1. Learn the rules for the best defensive techniques
2. Learn how to shoulder-charge an opponent properly. But be aware that inexperienced referees often do not know the difference between a legal shoulder charge and a foul. It is highly recommended to learn this tackle: If a legal shoulder-charge is called as an offense, you will be right and the referee will be wrong. At higher levels of soccer, this will not be much of an issue. This tackle makes for stronger players.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Palermo had a victory over Fiorentina 2 to 0 on December 8, 2007. Palermo’s Fabrizio Miccoli scored the first goal at about 18 minutes into the game. He was able to dribble through the Fiorentina defense and had an open shot at the goal with only the goalie to oppose him. Fiorentina had many chances in the first half to score, but failed to do so.
The second half was a little more interesting. Fiorentina had several shots on goal but again failed in their attempts. Their best soccer in this half lasted for only for the first ten minutes, but many shots were very high over the goal. Palermo dominated the rest of the game. With 80 minutes on the clock, Palermo’s Simplicio scored in a similar fashion as that of the first scored goal; that is, no defenseman opposed him except for the goalkeeper.
It is my opinion that the Fiorentina defense was confused most of the game. Too, I beleive that Fiorentina’s Jorgenson, a powerful defender played up too far, helping out on attacks. This type of situation often leaves the goal unprotected. However, his shoulder-charging tackles are to be commended as this type of charge allows for player contact and is within the Laws of the Game. These shoulder-charging tackles allowed him to end up with the ball a few times.
The game was pretty rough, as the referee did not make too many calls on fouls in the second half.
Palermo deserved to win as they had a good defensive team and made it difficult for Fiorentina to get clear shots on goal. Palermo also dominated the last 35 minutes of the second half.
Here is my advice for young players and coaches.
1. Learn the rules for the best defensive techniques
2. Learn how to shoulder-charge an opponent properly. But be aware that inexperienced referees often do not know the difference between a legal shoulder charge and a foul. It is highly recommended to learn this tackle: If a legal shoulder-charge is called as an offense, you will be right and the referee will be wrong. At higher levels of soccer, this will not be much of an issue. This tackle makes for stronger players.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
No. 19--Roma vs. Cagliari Italian Soccer: A Non Aggressive Cagliari, But a Clean Game along with Good Refereeing
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
Roma won the match on December 5, 2007 against Cagliari 2 to 0. It was a clean game with good refereeing; however, there were still a few yellow cards given out for serious offenses. It seems to me that a soccer match with relatively few fouls was the norm a few years ago. Back then, I can remember when players played the ball and not the man for most of the game, while today the opposite seems to be true. And pulling an opponent’s shirt now seems to be acceptable. So it is a pleasure to see a relatively clean game now and then.
Anyway Roma dominated their opponents with excellent passes while utilizing the whole team. Also, their defense was strong and well played. On the other hand Cagliari at times had sporadic passing sprees, but could not seem work their way into Roma’s goal area too often. Instead, it became necessary to take many of their shots on goal from a long way out. This is a credit to the Roma Defense.
Cagliari did have a few opportunities to score, but just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. They did not seem to play together as a full team either. Take this example: On one occasion, one of the forwards (I could not catch his name) made a super run with the ball up the right wing to the point where he was alone with the Roma goalkeeper, except for teammate Acquafresca—Roma’s forward. Acquafresca ran upfield staying even with the ball and to a point where he was unopposed by any defenders at the center of the goal. Had the ball been passed to him, it would have been a sure goal. Instead the ball was kicked directly at the keeper and no goal was scored. This is an example of this teams reliance on an individual’s performance rather than on teamwork. Furthermore, it was evident that Cagliari players were backing away from Roma Players on many occasions and did not seem to have sufficient stamina to play aggressively throughout the whole game.
Here are a few facts for developing personal skills that can help young players and or coaches:
1. Each player must challenge an opposing player for the ball when the opposition is on the attack
2. Each player must endeavor to win the loose ball
3. Playing as a team is always better then depending upon certain players to win the day
4. Last but not least is that all players must be in top physical condition via rigorous team and personal training.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Roma won the match on December 5, 2007 against Cagliari 2 to 0. It was a clean game with good refereeing; however, there were still a few yellow cards given out for serious offenses. It seems to me that a soccer match with relatively few fouls was the norm a few years ago. Back then, I can remember when players played the ball and not the man for most of the game, while today the opposite seems to be true. And pulling an opponent’s shirt now seems to be acceptable. So it is a pleasure to see a relatively clean game now and then.
Anyway Roma dominated their opponents with excellent passes while utilizing the whole team. Also, their defense was strong and well played. On the other hand Cagliari at times had sporadic passing sprees, but could not seem work their way into Roma’s goal area too often. Instead, it became necessary to take many of their shots on goal from a long way out. This is a credit to the Roma Defense.
Cagliari did have a few opportunities to score, but just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. They did not seem to play together as a full team either. Take this example: On one occasion, one of the forwards (I could not catch his name) made a super run with the ball up the right wing to the point where he was alone with the Roma goalkeeper, except for teammate Acquafresca—Roma’s forward. Acquafresca ran upfield staying even with the ball and to a point where he was unopposed by any defenders at the center of the goal. Had the ball been passed to him, it would have been a sure goal. Instead the ball was kicked directly at the keeper and no goal was scored. This is an example of this teams reliance on an individual’s performance rather than on teamwork. Furthermore, it was evident that Cagliari players were backing away from Roma Players on many occasions and did not seem to have sufficient stamina to play aggressively throughout the whole game.
Here are a few facts for developing personal skills that can help young players and or coaches:
1. Each player must challenge an opposing player for the ball when the opposition is on the attack
2. Each player must endeavor to win the loose ball
3. Playing as a team is always better then depending upon certain players to win the day
4. Last but not least is that all players must be in top physical condition via rigorous team and personal training.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
No. 18--Fiorentina vs. Inter Milan Italian Soccer: Correct Performance during the Match
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
The final score for the game played on December 2, 2007 was Inter Milan 2, Fiorentina 0. Saying that Inter Milan totally dominated the field of play easily sums up this game. There are four very important ingredients for winning a soccer match and they are:
1. Having a better defense (starting with the goalkeeper) than one’s opponents or better yet; making few defensive errors
2. Ball control, composed of accurate and safe passes most of the time and precise trapping and shielding of the ball
3. The desire to win the loose ball
4. Endurance developed by strenuous conditioning in training
Milan certainly had the first three and possibly the forth ingredient in this match; however, the endurance factor was not quite clear. Inter Milan dominated the game with accurate passes while Fiorentina had to make the most of their ball-possession by sending the ball up to the forwards near their attacking goal and in line with Milan’s defensemen. They could do very little in the way of working the ball passed the midfield in looking for opportunities. While there is nothing wrong with sending the ball up to the goal area sometimes, it is definitely not the optimum way to get into position to score, especially against a strong defense. Fiorentina just could not seem to make many penetrations into the Milan’s defense.
It is this kind of game play that makes it obvious who will most likely be the winner. I.e., I use the term “most likely” because luck—good or bad, or a bad referee’s decisions can alter the coarse of any game—especially in low scoring games. But doing things right certainty gives any team the edge.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
The final score for the game played on December 2, 2007 was Inter Milan 2, Fiorentina 0. Saying that Inter Milan totally dominated the field of play easily sums up this game. There are four very important ingredients for winning a soccer match and they are:
1. Having a better defense (starting with the goalkeeper) than one’s opponents or better yet; making few defensive errors
2. Ball control, composed of accurate and safe passes most of the time and precise trapping and shielding of the ball
3. The desire to win the loose ball
4. Endurance developed by strenuous conditioning in training
Milan certainly had the first three and possibly the forth ingredient in this match; however, the endurance factor was not quite clear. Inter Milan dominated the game with accurate passes while Fiorentina had to make the most of their ball-possession by sending the ball up to the forwards near their attacking goal and in line with Milan’s defensemen. They could do very little in the way of working the ball passed the midfield in looking for opportunities. While there is nothing wrong with sending the ball up to the goal area sometimes, it is definitely not the optimum way to get into position to score, especially against a strong defense. Fiorentina just could not seem to make many penetrations into the Milan’s defense.
It is this kind of game play that makes it obvious who will most likely be the winner. I.e., I use the term “most likely” because luck—good or bad, or a bad referee’s decisions can alter the coarse of any game—especially in low scoring games. But doing things right certainty gives any team the edge.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Monday, January 21, 2008
No.9--Soccer Defense Again--Valencia vs. Real Murcia
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
Defense in soccer cannot be overemphasized. I endorse this approach to soccer in many articles and it is worth discussing this topic again. Many years ago after coaching, witnessing and or playing in about a few hundred games it became clear to me that defense wins games. If the defense is solid and making few mistakes, the team has a much better chance to win then by just concentrating on scoring. How can this be, one might ask? It takes goals to win? That goes without question, but when forwards and midfielders are in disarray due to continuous saves by their own goalkeeper, they too usually become in disarray. Naturally, it takes explosive and skillful forwards to score, but they are often neutralized when their whole team is wholly dependent upon these players to save the day.
Now if the defense is in good form, attacking players midfielders and forwards can better concentrate on their job for attacking the goal and not hang back on defense. They often play more as a team as a result. And it is team support, rather than individual players, that usually wins games by giving strong support to the strong attacking players.
One of the obvious problem signs to look for are goals scored (or goals missed) because one or more forward players broke through the defensive line—and defenders are chasing them. Defensive players should act as a shield, thus preventing a clear shot by the attacker. Therefore they should back up with their opponent and not commit themselves endeavoring to tackle the ball. This tactic helps the goalkeeper make predictions as to where to stand if a shot on goal comes. Naturally, there are other tactics needed by defensive players, but they are not germane to this article.
Real Murcia vs.Valencia played on November 11 and the results of the game support what was said above. The score ended 3 to 0 in favor of Valancia. The latter defense was solid. Murcia’s defensemen however, were often chasing Valancia players that were rushing toward their attacking goal—this is an earmark of a weak defense as described above. Even though, Murcia frequently had better control of the ball in midfield, they found Valancia’s defense difficult to penetrate. When Murcia got near the Valancia defense, they had very few clear shots on goal. Yet ,Valancia had better opportunities near the Murcia goal and scored three times as a result of the weaker defense.
A similar situation occurred with the Argentina first division soccer match--Boca Juniors vs.Velez Sarsfield on November 13, 2007. At least two or possibly all four of the goals occurred due to defensive errors of this nature.
When I see games like the above with high scoring shutouts, it is obvious to me that the losing coach is not aware on how to prevent goals. He or she probably is just concentrating on the forward line; that is a mistake. The coach should make it a point to concentrate on the defensive line.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Defense in soccer cannot be overemphasized. I endorse this approach to soccer in many articles and it is worth discussing this topic again. Many years ago after coaching, witnessing and or playing in about a few hundred games it became clear to me that defense wins games. If the defense is solid and making few mistakes, the team has a much better chance to win then by just concentrating on scoring. How can this be, one might ask? It takes goals to win? That goes without question, but when forwards and midfielders are in disarray due to continuous saves by their own goalkeeper, they too usually become in disarray. Naturally, it takes explosive and skillful forwards to score, but they are often neutralized when their whole team is wholly dependent upon these players to save the day.
Now if the defense is in good form, attacking players midfielders and forwards can better concentrate on their job for attacking the goal and not hang back on defense. They often play more as a team as a result. And it is team support, rather than individual players, that usually wins games by giving strong support to the strong attacking players.
One of the obvious problem signs to look for are goals scored (or goals missed) because one or more forward players broke through the defensive line—and defenders are chasing them. Defensive players should act as a shield, thus preventing a clear shot by the attacker. Therefore they should back up with their opponent and not commit themselves endeavoring to tackle the ball. This tactic helps the goalkeeper make predictions as to where to stand if a shot on goal comes. Naturally, there are other tactics needed by defensive players, but they are not germane to this article.
Real Murcia vs.Valencia played on November 11 and the results of the game support what was said above. The score ended 3 to 0 in favor of Valancia. The latter defense was solid. Murcia’s defensemen however, were often chasing Valancia players that were rushing toward their attacking goal—this is an earmark of a weak defense as described above. Even though, Murcia frequently had better control of the ball in midfield, they found Valancia’s defense difficult to penetrate. When Murcia got near the Valancia defense, they had very few clear shots on goal. Yet ,Valancia had better opportunities near the Murcia goal and scored three times as a result of the weaker defense.
A similar situation occurred with the Argentina first division soccer match--Boca Juniors vs.Velez Sarsfield on November 13, 2007. At least two or possibly all four of the goals occurred due to defensive errors of this nature.
When I see games like the above with high scoring shutouts, it is obvious to me that the losing coach is not aware on how to prevent goals. He or she probably is just concentrating on the forward line; that is a mistake. The coach should make it a point to concentrate on the defensive line.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
No. 10--Soccer: Columbia vs. Brazil and The Importance of a Good Defense
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
Columbia vs. Brazil
This was match number one of the South American Qualifiers played on Qctober 14, 2007--for the 2010 World Cup Qualifying Match: At times this scoreless game was exciting to watch. Yet at other times it was a sleepy passing game in each team’s defensive part of the field. At times, there was no opposition by attacking players as each team slowly passed the ball around. This passing game was almost like slow motion as sometimes can be seen in South American soccer. However, at other times, it was clearly top division type of play and enjoyable.
Why was this a zero to zero game? The answer lies in the fact that both defenses made few errors. This tight defending required most shots taken on goal to be from long distances. So for the most part, the game was held at the midfield, but with great passes and control there. This was especially true for Columbia as they dominated the passing game most of the time. Similarly, young players should emulate passing and control this way. And, coaches should get their players to accurately pass, trap and shield, and control the ball. In addition coaches desiring more wins, should learn to recognize and promote proper defense, not just offense.
Young players should realize that ball control begins by trapping long or hard passes such as was seen in this game. To develop this skill, kicking the soccer ball back and forth should always be with long hard kicks and nearly dead-stop traps--no other way. This should take place both at practices or when just playing around with a soccer ball. Note: It is commonly practiced to just deflect a soccer ball at a slow to medium pace back to the kicker without settling it. As such, little in the way of skills can be learned or developed from this practically fruitless exercise. The dribbling displayed in this game illustrated what can be obtained with lots of dribbling practice. With my teams, as coach, I would assign prescribed dribbling drills to be practiced by the players in-between practices. These drills improve balance, speed and accuracy for this skill. Then at the following practice, players were required to demonstrate the assigned home-drill dribbling. I would then access each player’s skill. Players that performed the assigned home drills always faired better than those that did little homework and, the dribbling also showed up in games.
As for coaches, they should endeavor to learn to recognize what a strong defense can do to prevent goals. Preventing goals from being scored against one’s team naturally means that it only takes one goal to win. Some coaches never seem to understand this as they endeavor to always push forward and seem to disregard the team’s defense training.
Also to be recognized is the importance of ball possession. Short passes, starting with the goalkeeper, maintain possession longer. They are far more important than gaining distance by long indiscriminate kicks, head flicks and headers up field. Often this type of play brings the ball immediately back into “dangerous” territory where the defensive team must once again be on defense.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Columbia vs. Brazil
This was match number one of the South American Qualifiers played on Qctober 14, 2007--for the 2010 World Cup Qualifying Match: At times this scoreless game was exciting to watch. Yet at other times it was a sleepy passing game in each team’s defensive part of the field. At times, there was no opposition by attacking players as each team slowly passed the ball around. This passing game was almost like slow motion as sometimes can be seen in South American soccer. However, at other times, it was clearly top division type of play and enjoyable.
Why was this a zero to zero game? The answer lies in the fact that both defenses made few errors. This tight defending required most shots taken on goal to be from long distances. So for the most part, the game was held at the midfield, but with great passes and control there. This was especially true for Columbia as they dominated the passing game most of the time. Similarly, young players should emulate passing and control this way. And, coaches should get their players to accurately pass, trap and shield, and control the ball. In addition coaches desiring more wins, should learn to recognize and promote proper defense, not just offense.
Young players should realize that ball control begins by trapping long or hard passes such as was seen in this game. To develop this skill, kicking the soccer ball back and forth should always be with long hard kicks and nearly dead-stop traps--no other way. This should take place both at practices or when just playing around with a soccer ball. Note: It is commonly practiced to just deflect a soccer ball at a slow to medium pace back to the kicker without settling it. As such, little in the way of skills can be learned or developed from this practically fruitless exercise. The dribbling displayed in this game illustrated what can be obtained with lots of dribbling practice. With my teams, as coach, I would assign prescribed dribbling drills to be practiced by the players in-between practices. These drills improve balance, speed and accuracy for this skill. Then at the following practice, players were required to demonstrate the assigned home-drill dribbling. I would then access each player’s skill. Players that performed the assigned home drills always faired better than those that did little homework and, the dribbling also showed up in games.
As for coaches, they should endeavor to learn to recognize what a strong defense can do to prevent goals. Preventing goals from being scored against one’s team naturally means that it only takes one goal to win. Some coaches never seem to understand this as they endeavor to always push forward and seem to disregard the team’s defense training.
Also to be recognized is the importance of ball possession. Short passes, starting with the goalkeeper, maintain possession longer. They are far more important than gaining distance by long indiscriminate kicks, head flicks and headers up field. Often this type of play brings the ball immediately back into “dangerous” territory where the defensive team must once again be on defense.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
No. 11--Real Madrid vs. Mallorca, Soccer from Spain on Nov. 11, 2007
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
If you like high scoring games, this was one to watch. Rabinho for Real Madrid had a great game, not only because he scored two goals and gave a great assist to Raul’s goal, but his speed and dribbling skills were unsurpassed. Varela for Mallorca (pronounced Majorka) also had a good game with his two goals. The score ended 4 to 3 in favor of Real Madrid. But this high scoring game was the cause of mediocre defenses. Some of the goals could have been prevented if a defender had been positioned in front of the kicker instead of giving chase to the scoring attacker.
The worst botched defenses happened on at least two occasions. The first one was when a Mallorca defender slid for the ball just before it was crossed from the left wing to Robinho. The defender missed the tackle and ended on the ground allowing a perfect cross go to Robinho’s head to score the first goal. This type of tackle situation occurred again later in the game even though, no goal was scored at that time. In soccer it is generally considered a capitol sin for a defender to be on the ground when there is no teammate to back him or her up. I.e., slide tackles should not be attempted in situations where if missed, an opponent has an open shot at the goal or has the ability to make a clear cross.
For young players and coaches, the following should be observed as objectives to strive for:
1. The dribbling of Rabinho was fantastic as he beat and faked several defenders throughout the game. Young players should practice prescribed dribbling drills on their own, away from the soccer practices if they wish to be great players.
2. Rabinho’s speed and endurance was also in top form. Young soccer players also need to do endurance running on their own.
3. Defenders, especially the ones immediately in front of the goal should always be goal-side of the person that they are guarding or should be guarding. The defenders in this game for the most part were not goal-side of their opponent when in “dangerous” situations. Thus they allowed open shots on goal (shots not blocked by a defender). Note: Defenders should maintain screening cover in front of their attacker and not attempt to dislodge the ball unless it is out of control by the attacker. This latter move (tackeling the ball at the exact moment that it is out of control by the dribbler) only comes with experience. The precise timing to execute it usually needs to be relearned with each new soccer season.
One of my best games as a defender was one where I carefully guarded a certain player. Our opponents that day had a strong well-known striker. During this game I stayed with him and remained goal-side on each and every play while our team was on the defense (i.e., when the other team had the ball). This striker had few opportunities that day and was scoreless that game. My teammates congratulated me that day for a great game, even though I had only a few contacts with the ball.
The worst botched defenses happened on at least two occasions. The first one was when a Mallorca defender slid for the ball just before it was crossed from the left wing to Robinho. The defender missed the tackle and ended on the ground allowing a perfect cross go to Robinho’s head to score the first goal. This type of tackle situation occurred again later in the game even though, no goal was scored at that time. In soccer it is generally considered a capitol sin for a defender to be on the ground when there is no teammate to back him or her up. I.e., slide tackles should not be attempted in situations where if missed, an opponent has an open shot at the goal or has the ability to make a clear cross.
For young players and coaches, the following should be observed as objectives to strive for:
1. The dribbling of Rabinho was fantastic as he beat and faked several defenders throughout the game. Young players should practice prescribed dribbling drills on their own, away from the soccer practices if they wish to be great players.
2. Rabinho’s speed and endurance was also in top form. Young soccer players also need to do endurance running on their own.
3. Defenders, especially the ones immediately in front of the goal should always be goal-side of the person that they are guarding or should be guarding. The defenders in this game for the most part were not goal-side of their opponent when in “dangerous” situations. Thus they allowed open shots on goal (shots not blocked by a defender). Note: Defenders should maintain screening cover in front of their attacker and not attempt to dislodge the ball unless it is out of control by the attacker. This latter move (tackeling the ball at the exact moment that it is out of control by the dribbler) only comes with experience. The precise timing to execute it usually needs to be relearned with each new soccer season.
One of my best games as a defender was one where I carefully guarded a certain player. Our opponents that day had a strong well-known striker. During this game I stayed with him and remained goal-side on each and every play while our team was on the defense (i.e., when the other team had the ball). This striker had few opportunities that day and was scoreless that game. My teammates congratulated me that day for a great game, even though I had only a few contacts with the ball.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
No. 17--Espanyol vs. Barcelona Spanish Soccer: Uncoordinated Attacks Frequently Do Not Produce Goals
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
The match on December 2, 2007 ended in a 1 to 1 tie. This was an excellently played game at least in the first half. Both teams played hard, but Barcelona dominated the game in the first half with Messi making a great run up the right wing and crossing the ball to Iniesta who put the ball in the net. Iniesta was unmarked as the defense was watching the ball and not the attacking players. I should add that Messi is one of the best players to dribble a soccer ball. At times however he tries to score by himself, but at other times he is a team player.
In the second half Espanyol came back strong and at times dominated the game. At other times Barcelona dominated. Both teams played hard and at times often dirty. But, the second half was quite exciting as both teams aggressively went after the loose ball and also most players gave 100%. In the 68th minute, Espanyol’s Alberto Riera scored by a nice cross from Rodriguez equalizing the score of 1 to 1. As with the first goal by Iniesta, Espanyols’s Rodgiguez was unmarked as the defense watched the ball instead of the attacking players. The remainder of the game was sort of helter-skelter, as both teams wanted the tiebreaker goal so bad that they tried everything to get it. However, it seemed that they threw caution to the wind and did not play a good passing game to work the ball in the net. On the Barcelona side, the attackers were Bojan and Messi in the first part of the second half. They are fast forwards and showed their speed as they often beat their opposing wing defenders in a run.
Then in about ten minutes into the second half, Ronaldinho replaced Bojan. With this change, it seems obvious that the purpose was to strengthen the forward line and that Ronaldinho would do by himself what the rest of the team could not do--that is to score another goal. My own personal opinion would have been to strengthen the defense at that time even though most coaches would not agree with me on this move. So as it turned out, there were several attempts at scoring, but no further goals were scored as the Barcelona seemed to be depending on the forwards to win the game.
Espanyol at times in the second half were playing the long ball up to the goal area in hopes that someone would be in position to score. In North American football, this would be called a Hail Mary Pass—a rearward player sends the ball upfield and prays that someone on the same team will receive it and possibly score. Someone apparently was not listening to the prayer.
A note to coaches and young players:
It has been my experience that championships can be won by a strong defensive team and a team that plays together and shares the glory together—I always say to my teams, “ it is not an individual player that scores, but the team that scores”.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
The match on December 2, 2007 ended in a 1 to 1 tie. This was an excellently played game at least in the first half. Both teams played hard, but Barcelona dominated the game in the first half with Messi making a great run up the right wing and crossing the ball to Iniesta who put the ball in the net. Iniesta was unmarked as the defense was watching the ball and not the attacking players. I should add that Messi is one of the best players to dribble a soccer ball. At times however he tries to score by himself, but at other times he is a team player.
In the second half Espanyol came back strong and at times dominated the game. At other times Barcelona dominated. Both teams played hard and at times often dirty. But, the second half was quite exciting as both teams aggressively went after the loose ball and also most players gave 100%. In the 68th minute, Espanyol’s Alberto Riera scored by a nice cross from Rodriguez equalizing the score of 1 to 1. As with the first goal by Iniesta, Espanyols’s Rodgiguez was unmarked as the defense watched the ball instead of the attacking players. The remainder of the game was sort of helter-skelter, as both teams wanted the tiebreaker goal so bad that they tried everything to get it. However, it seemed that they threw caution to the wind and did not play a good passing game to work the ball in the net. On the Barcelona side, the attackers were Bojan and Messi in the first part of the second half. They are fast forwards and showed their speed as they often beat their opposing wing defenders in a run.
Then in about ten minutes into the second half, Ronaldinho replaced Bojan. With this change, it seems obvious that the purpose was to strengthen the forward line and that Ronaldinho would do by himself what the rest of the team could not do--that is to score another goal. My own personal opinion would have been to strengthen the defense at that time even though most coaches would not agree with me on this move. So as it turned out, there were several attempts at scoring, but no further goals were scored as the Barcelona seemed to be depending on the forwards to win the game.
Espanyol at times in the second half were playing the long ball up to the goal area in hopes that someone would be in position to score. In North American football, this would be called a Hail Mary Pass—a rearward player sends the ball upfield and prays that someone on the same team will receive it and possibly score. Someone apparently was not listening to the prayer.
A note to coaches and young players:
It has been my experience that championships can be won by a strong defensive team and a team that plays together and shares the glory together—I always say to my teams, “ it is not an individual player that scores, but the team that scores”.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
No. 16--Wigan vs. Manchester City English Soccer: Mistakes Made During the Match
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
English Soccer: Wigan vs. Manchester City" on Dec. 1, 2007 ended in draw 1 to 1. Here are some highlights of the game. A goal was scored by Manchester City’s Geovanni Gomez in about 30 seconds into play. The Wigan equalizer came 25 minutes later when the relatively slow ball was crossed to the head of Paul Scharner across the goalmouth. Unguarded, he made a diving spear-like movement towards the ball and headed it into the back of the net. Wigan's Koumas had another chance later, but missed the shot by a high kicked ball that went several yards over the goal. He was unimpeded just outside of the penalty area, so he had time to collect his movements. Later still, there was a perfect cross in front of the net, but no Wigan player followed up with the attack. There were no defenders present at this occasion, so Wigan missed another opportunity. Manchester City is known for its good defense, but they obviously made some mistakes during this game. Had they not been lucky, the final score could have been 2 or 3 to 1 against them.
The first half of the game was a decent one to watch, but in my opinion, not up to be at the highest level of play. Then, at about an hour into the game, the play often broke down into a kickball match as well as becoming physical. The kickball aspect was quite surprising for teams of this caliber. It appeared that each team was trying too hard to score another goal to break the tie; but, it was not surprising with this type of play that neither team was able to score again. The play at this stage of the game frequently became very aggressive with long kicks up field, poor passing and, with violent tripping and shoving.
At 74 minutes into the game, Wigan's Paul Schartner should have been given the red card for his violent tackle, but this as well as other serious tackles and handballs were overlooked. Finally at about 88 minutes into the game, Wigan's Mario Melchiot was given the red card for his violent tackle.
Here are my opinions as to what went wrong:
1. At about ten or fifteen minutes into the second half, both teams seemed to become over anxious for a goal and tried to force the ball into the net. This type of haphazard play often prevailed instead of concentrating on playing a passing game
2. As time progressed, the roughness of play elevated; yet, the referee was not firm enough and should have handed out more yellow and red cards earlier
3. The defenses at times did not assure that each opposing attacking player was covered
4. There were several shots off the mark. In particular, shots traveled too high over the goal. These should have been lower if these same players had purposely practiced (in training) getting over the ball before the kick
5. Strikers needed to follow-up alongside their dribbling players heading towards the goal. More than a few chances of scoring were missed because of this. The reasons most likely being that players had been having less than optimum physical conditioning or the coaches had not previously demanded that all attacking players must participate in attacks or both.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
English Soccer: Wigan vs. Manchester City" on Dec. 1, 2007 ended in draw 1 to 1. Here are some highlights of the game. A goal was scored by Manchester City’s Geovanni Gomez in about 30 seconds into play. The Wigan equalizer came 25 minutes later when the relatively slow ball was crossed to the head of Paul Scharner across the goalmouth. Unguarded, he made a diving spear-like movement towards the ball and headed it into the back of the net. Wigan's Koumas had another chance later, but missed the shot by a high kicked ball that went several yards over the goal. He was unimpeded just outside of the penalty area, so he had time to collect his movements. Later still, there was a perfect cross in front of the net, but no Wigan player followed up with the attack. There were no defenders present at this occasion, so Wigan missed another opportunity. Manchester City is known for its good defense, but they obviously made some mistakes during this game. Had they not been lucky, the final score could have been 2 or 3 to 1 against them.
The first half of the game was a decent one to watch, but in my opinion, not up to be at the highest level of play. Then, at about an hour into the game, the play often broke down into a kickball match as well as becoming physical. The kickball aspect was quite surprising for teams of this caliber. It appeared that each team was trying too hard to score another goal to break the tie; but, it was not surprising with this type of play that neither team was able to score again. The play at this stage of the game frequently became very aggressive with long kicks up field, poor passing and, with violent tripping and shoving.
At 74 minutes into the game, Wigan's Paul Schartner should have been given the red card for his violent tackle, but this as well as other serious tackles and handballs were overlooked. Finally at about 88 minutes into the game, Wigan's Mario Melchiot was given the red card for his violent tackle.
Here are my opinions as to what went wrong:
1. At about ten or fifteen minutes into the second half, both teams seemed to become over anxious for a goal and tried to force the ball into the net. This type of haphazard play often prevailed instead of concentrating on playing a passing game
2. As time progressed, the roughness of play elevated; yet, the referee was not firm enough and should have handed out more yellow and red cards earlier
3. The defenses at times did not assure that each opposing attacking player was covered
4. There were several shots off the mark. In particular, shots traveled too high over the goal. These should have been lower if these same players had purposely practiced (in training) getting over the ball before the kick
5. Strikers needed to follow-up alongside their dribbling players heading towards the goal. More than a few chances of scoring were missed because of this. The reasons most likely being that players had been having less than optimum physical conditioning or the coaches had not previously demanded that all attacking players must participate in attacks or both.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Friday, January 11, 2008
No. 12--Brazil vs. Peru Soccer, With Peru Hustling in the Second Half
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup South America Qualifiers Nov. 20, 2007, Peru caught up to the strong Brazilian team after twenty-six minutes of play in the second half. For the most part, Brazil dominated the first half with Peru maintaining a passing game, but sluggishly. It is fairly common to see a team that is behind in the second half start playing long-ball soccer and seemingly forgetting how to play a short-ball passing game: The short-ball passing game is generally the style of top division South American and Continental European teams.
But this was not the case with Peru in the second half. They came alive and continued to play the passing game that they were accustomed to playing, only more vigorous than in the first period. By playing this way, they dominated the game and caught up with Brazil with a final score of 1 to 1. What seemed to be a one sided match in the first half was turned around by a more aggressive play by Peru to win the loose ball.
I have always preached the methods of short-ball style of play with controlled passing to my players, along with being aggressive by winning the loose ball. And, it is necessary to continue to play in the same style as practiced in training--throughout the entire game. Naturally, maintaining passing control is extremely important for a team that normally plays short-ball soccer. Along with this, a long pass to an open winger or other player now and then is acceptable with controlled passing style soccer.
This game added credence to the adage “play your game”. Young players that wish to go far in this game must learn to have self-control in pressure situations, make short passes most of the time to retain ball possession and be aggressive when it comes to pressurizing the opponents. Of course, proper defense is also needed. Concentration on playing skillfully and giving 100% effort from a player are what make the difference between mediocre players and players that are in demand by coaches.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup South America Qualifiers Nov. 20, 2007, Peru caught up to the strong Brazilian team after twenty-six minutes of play in the second half. For the most part, Brazil dominated the first half with Peru maintaining a passing game, but sluggishly. It is fairly common to see a team that is behind in the second half start playing long-ball soccer and seemingly forgetting how to play a short-ball passing game: The short-ball passing game is generally the style of top division South American and Continental European teams.
But this was not the case with Peru in the second half. They came alive and continued to play the passing game that they were accustomed to playing, only more vigorous than in the first period. By playing this way, they dominated the game and caught up with Brazil with a final score of 1 to 1. What seemed to be a one sided match in the first half was turned around by a more aggressive play by Peru to win the loose ball.
I have always preached the methods of short-ball style of play with controlled passing to my players, along with being aggressive by winning the loose ball. And, it is necessary to continue to play in the same style as practiced in training--throughout the entire game. Naturally, maintaining passing control is extremely important for a team that normally plays short-ball soccer. Along with this, a long pass to an open winger or other player now and then is acceptable with controlled passing style soccer.
This game added credence to the adage “play your game”. Young players that wish to go far in this game must learn to have self-control in pressure situations, make short passes most of the time to retain ball possession and be aggressive when it comes to pressurizing the opponents. Of course, proper defense is also needed. Concentration on playing skillfully and giving 100% effort from a player are what make the difference between mediocre players and players that are in demand by coaches.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
No. 15--Arsenal vs. Wigan English Soccer: What Helps Win or Lose Soccer Games and Referee’s Reputation
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
Arsenal vs. Wigan English Soccer. This game was played on November 24, 2007. It was a game where superior skills and endurance won the day as frequently happens with most soccer matches. Arsenal won 2 to 0 over Wigan. After a slow start of about ten minutes into the game, Arsenal took control with accurate passing, trapping and shielding. On the other hand, Wigan could not seem to get control of the ball for more than a few passes most of the time and often because of this, tried to mix up the soccer attacks with long up-field passes.
Because Arsenal had ball possession most of the time, (along with many short passes) it was just a matter of time before one of their goal attempts succeeded. Finally, after 82 minutes a crossed ball from Bacary Sagna went to the head of William Gallas to score their first goal. It was a goal not easily defended against, so the Wigan defense could not be at fault this time.
But at other times the Wigan defense was disorganized, as was the case when the second goal was scored. It was off the foot of Tomas Rosicky, who was virtually unscreened by the Wigan defense. This occurred only 3 minutes after the first goal: Wigan defenders were chasing him when he got the shot off. This goal could have been prevented if Rosicky had been marked.
The game was totally dominated by Arsenal. However, both teams committed some errors and they should be brought to the attention of young players and coaches as what to avoid.
1. There was at least one occasion by Arsenal where a cross was not pulled back far enough and went directly into the Wigan goalkeeper’s hands. A good cross must be back out far enough to be out of reach from the goalkeeper.
2. A similar event by Arsenal occurred with a corner kick—the kicked ball landed directly into the hands of the Wigan goalkeeper. A good corner kick must be kicked back out far enough to be out of reach of the goalkeeper: The kicker must compensate for in-swingers and out-swingers.
3. Wigan on the other hand, could not keep pace with Arsenal and on many occasions reverted to kicking the ball up field. But, at 57 minutes into the game, this team had a passing rally and began working the ball up field. However, after more than a half dozen passes around the midfield and beyond, the ball worked its way back to the defense instead of going forward. The defender, upon receiving the ball booted it up field, thus ending the passing rally: The ball was immediately intercepted by Arsenal who then made a counterattack. Wigan's same passing strategy occurred again at 81 minutes into the game and failed in a similar manner. Passing the ball for possession should be a requirement for young players and long indiscriminate kicks should be discouraged.
A note on refereeing. This was another of those games where illicit tackling was quite common--tripping a dribbling-player or tackling at the calves and not the ball. The referee did not punish the guilty players soon enough in the game and of course things always get worse. One of Arsenal’s players had to be taken off the field in a stretcher due to one of these mentioned tackles. Also, one scene was pretty nasty as players from both sides began a shoving match that looked like it could have even evolved the referees. If a referee shows his or her authority early on by showing yellow or red cards for such offenses (tripping or going for the legs or other serious infractions), the roughness can be controlled. Note: If a referee desires a good reputation, he or she must not only be fair and accurate but firmly control each game from getting out of hand by protecting players from dangerous acts. In other words enforce FIFA Laws of the Game.
A further note: It is my personal opinion for the safety of any referee, his or her name should not be made public at any time. But, soccer organizations should have input into referees’ discipline. A referee’s bad decisions can have an adverse effect upon the actual winner of a game. My Soccer Handbook for Players, Coaches and Parents outlines a method for a fair evaluation of referees.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Arsenal vs. Wigan English Soccer. This game was played on November 24, 2007. It was a game where superior skills and endurance won the day as frequently happens with most soccer matches. Arsenal won 2 to 0 over Wigan. After a slow start of about ten minutes into the game, Arsenal took control with accurate passing, trapping and shielding. On the other hand, Wigan could not seem to get control of the ball for more than a few passes most of the time and often because of this, tried to mix up the soccer attacks with long up-field passes.
Because Arsenal had ball possession most of the time, (along with many short passes) it was just a matter of time before one of their goal attempts succeeded. Finally, after 82 minutes a crossed ball from Bacary Sagna went to the head of William Gallas to score their first goal. It was a goal not easily defended against, so the Wigan defense could not be at fault this time.
But at other times the Wigan defense was disorganized, as was the case when the second goal was scored. It was off the foot of Tomas Rosicky, who was virtually unscreened by the Wigan defense. This occurred only 3 minutes after the first goal: Wigan defenders were chasing him when he got the shot off. This goal could have been prevented if Rosicky had been marked.
The game was totally dominated by Arsenal. However, both teams committed some errors and they should be brought to the attention of young players and coaches as what to avoid.
1. There was at least one occasion by Arsenal where a cross was not pulled back far enough and went directly into the Wigan goalkeeper’s hands. A good cross must be back out far enough to be out of reach from the goalkeeper.
2. A similar event by Arsenal occurred with a corner kick—the kicked ball landed directly into the hands of the Wigan goalkeeper. A good corner kick must be kicked back out far enough to be out of reach of the goalkeeper: The kicker must compensate for in-swingers and out-swingers.
3. Wigan on the other hand, could not keep pace with Arsenal and on many occasions reverted to kicking the ball up field. But, at 57 minutes into the game, this team had a passing rally and began working the ball up field. However, after more than a half dozen passes around the midfield and beyond, the ball worked its way back to the defense instead of going forward. The defender, upon receiving the ball booted it up field, thus ending the passing rally: The ball was immediately intercepted by Arsenal who then made a counterattack. Wigan's same passing strategy occurred again at 81 minutes into the game and failed in a similar manner. Passing the ball for possession should be a requirement for young players and long indiscriminate kicks should be discouraged.
A note on refereeing. This was another of those games where illicit tackling was quite common--tripping a dribbling-player or tackling at the calves and not the ball. The referee did not punish the guilty players soon enough in the game and of course things always get worse. One of Arsenal’s players had to be taken off the field in a stretcher due to one of these mentioned tackles. Also, one scene was pretty nasty as players from both sides began a shoving match that looked like it could have even evolved the referees. If a referee shows his or her authority early on by showing yellow or red cards for such offenses (tripping or going for the legs or other serious infractions), the roughness can be controlled. Note: If a referee desires a good reputation, he or she must not only be fair and accurate but firmly control each game from getting out of hand by protecting players from dangerous acts. In other words enforce FIFA Laws of the Game.
A further note: It is my personal opinion for the safety of any referee, his or her name should not be made public at any time. But, soccer organizations should have input into referees’ discipline. A referee’s bad decisions can have an adverse effect upon the actual winner of a game. My Soccer Handbook for Players, Coaches and Parents outlines a method for a fair evaluation of referees.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
No. 14--Columbia vs. Argentina Soccer, Three Points to Consider for Young Players
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup South America Qualifiers Nov. 20, 2007, Argentina, as usual for this team, had a great passing game but lost to Columbia. I believe the loss was partially due to its defense and partially due to fouls. Argentina initially came on strong. Then in about 37 minutes of the first half, Argentina’s Leon Messi dribbled through two defenders, like a bull and made a left-footed shot from the left side of the goal. His speed and control showed how strong of a player he is. In my opinion, it was a great goal; but Argentina never scored again.
Columbia did not look too good until about the middle of the second half. Then, at about 18 minutes into the half, a free kick was awarded to Columbia because of a “leg” tackle made by an Argentine player who drew a foul. Note: A soccer-legal tackle is one where the tackler must first contact the ball, than if he or she contacts the legs the tackle is not penalized—unless it is obvious that there was intention to harm the dribbling player. A free kick a few yards from outside of the penalty area was given. Bustos took the kick and scored. From then on, Columbia became alive. Two of their several chances to score were in front into an open goal, but they only scored on the second of the two chances. The first chance came when the dribbling player pushed the ball in front of the open goal, but there was no follow-up striker nearby. However, this opportunity was repeated at 38 minutes in the second half with Moreno following up. He then booted the ball into the open net. The final score was 2-1 in favor of Columbia.
This was one of the best-refereed games that I have seen when it comes to disallowing violent behavior. Most of that soccer violent behavior has been coming from kicking out the legs from behind an opponent as this player is dribbling or attempting to control the ball. This game showed no exception with this type of violent tackle, but these tackles were not near as frequent as with some of the games lately. A red card was given in this game to one of the Argentine players for a violent kick—he was ejected only after 26 minutes of play; therefore, they played one player short for the game’s duration. The fouls and red card certainly did not help Argentina and most likely contributed to their loss: That first goal was scored against them due to a free kick awarded to Columbia just outside of the penalty area. Also, playing with ten players cannot help a team to win a game. The referee took control and maintained it throughout the game. And I for one was pleased to see it.
There are three points players should be aware of:
1. Young players should practice kicking the ball low to the ground. This takes self-control where the player must get over the ball before the kick. There were a few panic shots on goal where the ball went too high to even be close to the top of the goal. For a professional player, this is unfortunate. This is a common practice in many soccer matches, especially in amateur soccer.
2. Young forward and midfield players should follow the ball to the goal as it is dribbled towards the opponent’s goal. There was no follow-up player when Columbia had its first chance to score on an open net. Their second chance gave them a goal because there was a follow-up.
3. Young players should learn to play a clean game. There is no need to be kicking out the legs of opponents.
a. Fouls of the violent nature should not to be tolerated in soccer: They are
against FIFA Laws of the Game.
b. Fouls can be costly in terms of losing the game as was the case in this game
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup South America Qualifiers Nov. 20, 2007, Argentina, as usual for this team, had a great passing game but lost to Columbia. I believe the loss was partially due to its defense and partially due to fouls. Argentina initially came on strong. Then in about 37 minutes of the first half, Argentina’s Leon Messi dribbled through two defenders, like a bull and made a left-footed shot from the left side of the goal. His speed and control showed how strong of a player he is. In my opinion, it was a great goal; but Argentina never scored again.
Columbia did not look too good until about the middle of the second half. Then, at about 18 minutes into the half, a free kick was awarded to Columbia because of a “leg” tackle made by an Argentine player who drew a foul. Note: A soccer-legal tackle is one where the tackler must first contact the ball, than if he or she contacts the legs the tackle is not penalized—unless it is obvious that there was intention to harm the dribbling player. A free kick a few yards from outside of the penalty area was given. Bustos took the kick and scored. From then on, Columbia became alive. Two of their several chances to score were in front into an open goal, but they only scored on the second of the two chances. The first chance came when the dribbling player pushed the ball in front of the open goal, but there was no follow-up striker nearby. However, this opportunity was repeated at 38 minutes in the second half with Moreno following up. He then booted the ball into the open net. The final score was 2-1 in favor of Columbia.
This was one of the best-refereed games that I have seen when it comes to disallowing violent behavior. Most of that soccer violent behavior has been coming from kicking out the legs from behind an opponent as this player is dribbling or attempting to control the ball. This game showed no exception with this type of violent tackle, but these tackles were not near as frequent as with some of the games lately. A red card was given in this game to one of the Argentine players for a violent kick—he was ejected only after 26 minutes of play; therefore, they played one player short for the game’s duration. The fouls and red card certainly did not help Argentina and most likely contributed to their loss: That first goal was scored against them due to a free kick awarded to Columbia just outside of the penalty area. Also, playing with ten players cannot help a team to win a game. The referee took control and maintained it throughout the game. And I for one was pleased to see it.
There are three points players should be aware of:
1. Young players should practice kicking the ball low to the ground. This takes self-control where the player must get over the ball before the kick. There were a few panic shots on goal where the ball went too high to even be close to the top of the goal. For a professional player, this is unfortunate. This is a common practice in many soccer matches, especially in amateur soccer.
2. Young forward and midfield players should follow the ball to the goal as it is dribbled towards the opponent’s goal. There was no follow-up player when Columbia had its first chance to score on an open net. Their second chance gave them a goal because there was a follow-up.
3. Young players should learn to play a clean game. There is no need to be kicking out the legs of opponents.
a. Fouls of the violent nature should not to be tolerated in soccer: They are
against FIFA Laws of the Game.
b. Fouls can be costly in terms of losing the game as was the case in this game
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
No. 13--USA vs. South Africa (RSA)—Not a Good Soccer Game for the Americans Despite a Win
by Soccer Coach Albert M. Luongo
The game date was Nov. 17, 2007 played in Johannesburg for the Nelson Mandella Challenge Cup SA. In my opinion, the USA team does not have what it takes to be competitive at the 2010 world cup unless they make many improvements with team play, short accurate passing, trapping and far fewer long kicks from the goalkeeper up field. This contest was what I often describe as North American style soccer utilizing long upfield kicks; but at least, it did not contain the roughness sometimes associated with this style of play.
Much of the time the Americans played high school type soccer despite the 1 to 0 win over South Africa. Their play for the most part, was purposeless and in the second half there was essentially had no offensive play. Many times players bunched up in a localized area instead of spreading out across the field to be in open spaces for passes. Maybe their play could be blamed upon the altitude of nearly 6000 feet, but I am not so sure. In addition, the ball went over the touchline continually indicating lack of control by both teams. This happened too often and presented itself as a poor game for spectators, however, it was a relatively clean game with very few fouls. And fortunately, the American defense was decent most of the time, yet it can still improve.
The American goal scored by Steve Cherundolo was with a great run and he is commended for this; however, RSA defensemen were chasing him--being typical of their weak defense in the first half. In the second half, however their defense was hardly challenged, as the American team had almost no scoring opportunities. It seems that the American team, while having very little offense (and little endurance) had a good defense—which can be a credit to their win.
Subusiso Zuma the African showed great soccer skills and worth mentioning. The South Africans played an excellent second half looking like a top South American team at times, but could not put the ball in the net, despite several good attempts. One of the South African problems is that did too little challenging to the American defenders while these defenders passed the ball around on their defensive side of the half line.
If the Americans wish to be a contender for the 2010 world cup, they need to watch more top class soccer and make improvements in the next two years. Here are some problems with the USA team as I see them:
1. They depended upon long balls and breakaways for scoring
2. There are to many long kicks from the goalkeeper instead of short passes to defenders
3. There is very little constructive passing and trapping
4. Many throw-ins were sent to crowded areas (usually up the line) instead of to open players
5. Players were not moving into open areas on the playing field
6. A few times the defense was out of position.
Finally, in addition to improvements mentioned above, rigorous conditioning is a must if the Americans wish to be a contender in the next World Cup.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
The game date was Nov. 17, 2007 played in Johannesburg for the Nelson Mandella Challenge Cup SA. In my opinion, the USA team does not have what it takes to be competitive at the 2010 world cup unless they make many improvements with team play, short accurate passing, trapping and far fewer long kicks from the goalkeeper up field. This contest was what I often describe as North American style soccer utilizing long upfield kicks; but at least, it did not contain the roughness sometimes associated with this style of play.
Much of the time the Americans played high school type soccer despite the 1 to 0 win over South Africa. Their play for the most part, was purposeless and in the second half there was essentially had no offensive play. Many times players bunched up in a localized area instead of spreading out across the field to be in open spaces for passes. Maybe their play could be blamed upon the altitude of nearly 6000 feet, but I am not so sure. In addition, the ball went over the touchline continually indicating lack of control by both teams. This happened too often and presented itself as a poor game for spectators, however, it was a relatively clean game with very few fouls. And fortunately, the American defense was decent most of the time, yet it can still improve.
The American goal scored by Steve Cherundolo was with a great run and he is commended for this; however, RSA defensemen were chasing him--being typical of their weak defense in the first half. In the second half, however their defense was hardly challenged, as the American team had almost no scoring opportunities. It seems that the American team, while having very little offense (and little endurance) had a good defense—which can be a credit to their win.
Subusiso Zuma the African showed great soccer skills and worth mentioning. The South Africans played an excellent second half looking like a top South American team at times, but could not put the ball in the net, despite several good attempts. One of the South African problems is that did too little challenging to the American defenders while these defenders passed the ball around on their defensive side of the half line.
If the Americans wish to be a contender for the 2010 world cup, they need to watch more top class soccer and make improvements in the next two years. Here are some problems with the USA team as I see them:
1. They depended upon long balls and breakaways for scoring
2. There are to many long kicks from the goalkeeper instead of short passes to defenders
3. There is very little constructive passing and trapping
4. Many throw-ins were sent to crowded areas (usually up the line) instead of to open players
5. Players were not moving into open areas on the playing field
6. A few times the defense was out of position.
Finally, in addition to improvements mentioned above, rigorous conditioning is a must if the Americans wish to be a contender in the next World Cup.
All of the above information is the author's opinion. This article in no way is meant to degrade, discredit or defame any team or person. Its sole purpose is to improve the skills of young soccer players, coaches and the game itself.
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