WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! The winner of the $25 gift cert to Kombat Soccer is....
Nobody!! Since nobody entered, nobody won.
Next month look for the GOTM post and to enter, leave a comment on your choice for the best goal.
GOTM Winner
Fall Evaluations
Hello Man Utd Family,
The end of summer brings many things. One of them is the second round of evaluations.
This week I will be releasing player evaluations via email.
And I hope to speak with every player at training the week after that.
And of course, contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Thanks.
Principles of Attack
Lets go over some basic principles of how we attack & the Sac United Attacking Philosophy.
The Main Focus is to Score more Goals than the other team!
- Penetration - the first choice through dribbling, shooting, passing
- Support - providing all around support for player with the ball
- Mobility - an attempt to create gaps in the defense by a variety of different runs
- Width - in order to spread out the defense and create space
- Improvisation - make the attack unpredictable through creativity
The player on the ball we call the First Attacker. The next closest is the Second Attacker & so forth.. Here the the roles for each attacker.
- 1st Attacker – penetrate, improvisation
- 2nd Attacker – width, depth, mobility
- 3rd Attacker – width, depth, mobility
Sac United Attacking Philosophy
- If we can go directly to goal, we will. (#10)
- If we can not, we will make the game wide, long, and hold on to the ball.
Penetration
Support
- The ball must have three options:
- right
- lef
- through
- a fourth option would be a stretch option - direct ball over the defense
- Call for the ball when:
- you can be seen
- eye contact – the passer looks up
Mobility
Options to the ball: right, left, through, and if possible a stretch option. Specifically;
- Present targets to support the ball.
- If covered, move. If covered middle, move down the line.
- If covered square, vacate space.
- Always look to be the third man.
Width
- We achieve width through flank players and overlaps.
- Achieve width early out of the back.
- At minimum, present wide targets.
Improvisation
- Dribble when:
- open space
- in vital area, one defender to beat and shoot
- no options (shielding)
Visual And Visual Cues
1. Eye contact between players in possession and teammates
2. Sudden burst of speed by player will act as a cue
3. Positioning and body shape of player comparison to their defender
4. Nodding of the head in the direction where you want the ball to be passed
5. Strengths and weaknesses of person on the ball
6. Run dictates pass
The final consideration when we attack is the Risk vs. Safety Issue. We want to attack, but we don't want to expose ourselves to counter-attacks or make rash decisions in the wrong part of the park. How we act depends on where we are and how much pressure we're under.
1. Attacking Third
---> More risks should be taken
2. Middle Third
----> 50/50 consideration of Safety vs. Risk
3. Defensive Third
----> Safety is the first concern
EPL - Goal of the Month - WITH PRIZES
**UPDATE: Make sure to post your favorite goal in the Comments!**
As you all should know, the EPL (English Premier League) is back and better than ever (mostly because of being sans Newcastle.
The best EPL review show around is without a doubt the BBC's Match Of The Day. Every month MOTD rounds up the months best goals and sometimes awards prizes for guessing the best goal.
So I would like to inaugurate a new contest here on the BLOG. If you can guess the goal of the month, selected by the MOTD pundits, you'll win a soccer/Sac United prize.
Rules:
To enter, simply leave a comment to this post with (1) the goal # (2) your first name (or nickname) so I know who it is. You can only vote once. This competition is open to the entire Man Utd family, players and parents. In case of a tie, the winner will be drawn from a hat.
The winner will be announced this weekend! So get your votes in.
So without further ado, I give you the EPL AUGUST GOAL OF THE MONTH!
Good Luck!
Great Shot = (1) Follow through (2) Land on The Striking Foot
Video Evidence
As someone once said, "The camera doesn't lie." Here is Craig Bellamy's goal from the Man Utd vs Man City game, one of the best goals scored last weekend.
If you can, I suggest putting it on full screen mode.
Especially watch the last super slow reply. It shows Bellamy swing all the way through the shot, using his whole body to accelerate his leg, following through and landing on his striking foot.
It's a very excellent goal. He even scored another in that game.
Too bad he came out on the losing side this time though huhhn....
Gotta love video evidence.
One For The GK's
I don't give enough love to GK's with all these video post.
So by popular demand... Here is video evidence of a GK preserving a game for their team. It comes courtesy of the Champions League this past week.
Panna! Goalkeeper vs. Defender
Here is Football Club Internazionale Milano's GK Julio Cesar* in a possession practice pulling a sweet panna on Italian National Team defender Marco Materazzi.
* Please keep in mind he is Brazilian.
5 Best Playmakers
Here is terrific list of the games best play makers.
The players who know where everyone is at all times, who know every angle, every type of pass & when to play it.
It is always a joy to watch a great playmaker at work.
Who would be in your top 5?
Show Off! Best Skill From Mid-Week Champions League
Marseille’s Mamadou Niang shows us how to beat two Italian defenders. Answer: With some skill.
Enjoy.
What it takes: Sac United Player Template
At Sac United, we strive to maintain our reputation for playing attacking, attractive soccer. This is at the heart of everything that we do and believe to be successful, all our players have to have the ability to dominate the 1v1 situation.
Success in 1v1 situations comes from a combination of four aspects of soccer: Physical Ability, Technical Skill, Tactical Awareness, & Mental Strength.
Through dedication, perseverance and time spent on your own these aspects can be molded into that of a top player.
Play & Watch soccer to gain tactical awareness. Spend backyard time so your dribble moves get sharp. Find a wall and smash 100 shots with right and 100 with your left then hit the grass and do some sprints. Compete at everything.
Practicing at home, on your own, builds the Mental strength you'll need to get to the top and stay there because you will confident in in every 1v1 situation.
One Club! One Love!
Practice Schedule Update
All training sessions are moving to Granite Regional Park.
The move is typical at this time of year because of the loss of light during the second session.
Training Schedule:
Monday: 5:30 - 7:00 @ Granite
Wednesday: 5:30 - 7:00 @ Granite Technical Training
Thursday: 5:30 - 7:00 @ Granite
How to Beat A Whole Team: Iaquinta & Gilardino vs. Bulgaria
ALL ONE TOUCH PASSES!
These two who help score Italy's second goal, Alberto Gilardino & Vincenzo Iaquinta, don't play on the same team during the season. They can combine this way because they both play & practice at a high level every week and know the game. If you know the game you can play with anyone.
An Absolutely Amazing Goal!
Speed...
"Speed is often confused with insight. When I start running earlier than the others, I appear faster."
-- Johan Cruyff
Becoming a Student of the Game
In The Vision Of A Champion, Anson Dorrance talks about the importance of becoming a "student of the game."
You consistently hear the same refrain: watch the best soccer. But why? The only way you're going to play high-level soccer is by seeing it first, because you're not going to be able to do it until you understand it. A good coach can talk to you about it, but you need to see it demonstrated in order to imitate it when you play.
Click the "Read More" to find a couple ways to quickly become a student of the game.
U.S. National Team member Brandi Chastain plays soccer with an amazing level of sophistication. She play with a lot of subtlety and wonderful deception. She also understands the rhythm, of the game. She plays at a pace appropriate to the situation; that is, she knows when to speed up or slow down. She has these abilities because she is one of the best students of the game. Brandi is famous for her passionate interest in watching high-level soccer, and it shows in her playing.
Becoming a student of the game is one sure way to work on your soccer understanding, and will also impact on your soccer sense. This means watching, reading, and learning - in the same way you would with any other subject of interest or importance to you.
To study the game means to really watch a game. I'm not saying you have to dutifully watch all 90 minutes of a game, but you should build up your high-level soccer diet so you can have a critical eye - really search for aspects that will impact your development.
So now you now the why, but what about the HOW first...
There are all kinds of ways to watch soccer. One is to look at the artistry, that is, the flair and creativity. I think every true fan watches in this fashion. That's how most of us are drawn into the game, which is great way to view it.
When you watch a game, see what parts you like. Also, notice the players who are exciting to you. Take it a step further. Find your favorite players and make or buy videotapes(OR look up on YouTube -nk) of them playing, and learn their moves. Practice them in the backyard or your basement.
For me it was Diego Maradona, I remember seeing him play in the 1986 World Cup Final. He was left footed, like I was. He was the smallest player on the pitch, like I was. And nothing made him happier then dribbling or passing around players, and that's what I wanted to be as a soccer player.
Anson talks about a second deeper way to watch soccer...
A more sophisticated way to watch the game is for its rhythm. Notice how the players calm the game down if it's too frantic, or explode if a defender or defense is lulled or ball-watching. Then, you can fully appreciate that at its best, soccer is basically a game of surges and tranquilities, a rhythm of slow motion and acceleration. It consists of quick, explosive moves combined with slower action in which someone gets the ball, cleans it up, slows it down, recomposes, and then does something dynamic again. It is this change of pace that makes a player or a team unpredictable and hard to defend.
Why is rhythm important? Because a game without rhythm or someone sophisticated enough to control the flow turns into kickball or a track meet. A game with one predictable speed.
A savvy student of the game, one who has studied the game, understands its rhythms and how to create them. They know how to lull a defender with a shift of weight or how to slow up a frantic attack to get more players involved or how to slow up attackers in midfield by denying the right passing lanes. To learn these you have to seek out the highest level you can - that means the college game, MLS, TV soccer from England, Spain, Holland, Italy.
Another way to look at a game is in terms of shape. Shape is the positioning of the players, or, the attacking and defensive construct (in other words - watch away from the ball & look at players that play the positions you want to and watch the decisions they make -nk). Every team's shape can be different, and yet still be effective. Differing shapes is one of the elements of soccer's variety. Again, at lower levels you can see bad shape (e.g., players bunched into the center of the field). You want to study the game with good shape (e.g., players pushed up and spread wide while on attack), then emulate what you see.
You are a work in soccer progress. Learning the various aspects of the game will mold you. Make sure you model your soccer palette off the elite players. From that palette you can create your own soccer personality.
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