Successful Soccer

I spoke with Joe Clarke, the Men’s Soccer Coach at Washington University. We spoke about the seven aspects he looks at when evaluating soccer players. This is a great tool for all the high school players who want to play soccer in college.

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I apologize for the low audio quality. We were in a large open room that was quiet, but added a significant amount of reverb.

Joe looks at seven areas:

Brains: Perhaps the most important aspect. Joe describes as “How a player uses what they have. What their team has

Skill level / Technical ability: Making the ball do what a player wants it to do.

Tactics: Individually, Whole team, The Score, The opponent, everything.

Commitment: Fitness level. How much ground the player covers in a game. Includes the attitude to run correctly.

Physical: Size, strength, speed, quickness, agility. Can improve on these to a degree. The more you give away physically, the more perfect you have to be in your play.

Psychological: How a player handles the stresses of the game. Everybody wants to win, but not everybody hates to lose. Every team needs players who hate to lose.

Lifestyle: Your lifestyle can destroy you. Fitness as a way of life. Making good choices in the evening because there are lots of alternatives offered that will destroy a player.

Some Info on Joe Clarke:

23 years Collegiate Soccer Coach
10 NSCAA All American players
4 United States National Players
Professional player for seven years
United States Olympic Qualifying Rounds team member
Member Missouri Bar Assn.

Joe Clarke Soccer Camps at http://www.joeclarkesoccercamp.com
Washington University Men’s Soccer at http://bearsports.wustl.edu/menssoccer/menssoccer.html

Thanks to Jeff Woolsey for the opening music. You can find more of Jeff at www.sonicduderanch.com

Thanks to Magnatune.com and the artist Jag for this episode’s closing song of Walkin At Midnight. You can find this song and other new stuff at Magnatune.com They are not a sponsor as I get no money, but Magnatune.com is great because they allow podcasters to include their music in a podcast.

Thanks for listening

Send your feedback feedback@successfulsoccer.com

This is Episode 008 - Receiving

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Thanks to GoalOFC for the review. I enjoy the kind words, but the constructive criticism is truly appreciated. My hope is that someday I will learn to relax and not meander to slowly to the point. Let’s see how I do today.

Today’s topic is receiving and something that I believe does not get enough attention. A lot of players and coaches think that focusing on pure receiving is boring and often want to move on to more exciting topics and drills. I feel that is a mistake.

Receiving is a cornerstone to being successful in soccer. Imagine a basketball team that is great at dribbling, shooting, playing defense and passing, but can not catch a ball. I doubt they would be very successful.

I see receiving a ball as having two major pieces. First is position.

I am not referring to being in a position that allows a teammate to pass you the ball. That is a different topic that I touched on a little in episode 6 where I talk about space.

The positioning I think of relative to receiving is the position of the player’s body relative to the field. For example: A player on the sideline should try to receive a ball with his or her back to the sideline so the entire field is open and in view. If that same player is facing a goal line, then the field that is behind him or her is out of view. And seeing the whole field is very helpful. We will get into this a little later.

A player also has to take other players into consideration and position his or her body in a way that the ball is protected from the opposition and/or open to his or her own team to make a quick pass.

But before I go into that I want to go into the importance of a great first touch. As I mentioned earlier, imagine a basketball player that dropped every ball that was passed to him. The same goes for a soccer player receiving a pass. If a pass cannot be controlled well then turnovers happen.

Before you ever get your first touch on the ball you should know what part of your body will receive the ball and what you are going to do. Just as I like to have keepers watch crosses without the stress of actually catching them, it is great to have field players watch balls served in at different heights so they can get a feel for different trajectories. It is key to know early where the ball will land so you know what part of the body will be used to receive the ball. This type of practice also provides players with an opportunity to take a quick look at the field while the ball is still in flight to decide what they are going to do with the ball when it gets to them. Being proactive and thinking a step or two ahead is so much better than being reactive and trying to figure out what to do once you have the ball in your possession.

When I was growing up we were taught to trap the ball. But you will notice that today we receive the ball. This is because trapping the ball implies that the ball is going to stop dead at your feet and you rarely want to have the ball stopped dead at your feet.

The speed and trajectory of the approaching ball will tell you how firm or soft your first touch needs to be. There is no magic formula, this just takes practice. However, a ball that is coming in hard and fast needs to have a lot of the energy taken away. Think cushion. I am sure most players have heard this and most coaches have said it, but how often do you focus a practice or even a drill on simply cushioning the ball? It won’t happen if you don’t practice.

So as often as you can, make time to practice cushioning the ball. For those who don’t know what I am talking about and for those who would just like a refresher cushioning the ball is simple. Lets say the ball is coming in hard on the ground and you are going to receive it with the inside of your foot. You need to first move your foot towards the ball so you have a longer distance to take the speed off the ball. Just as the ball makes contact with your foot, you want to move your foot in the same direction the ball is going and slow the ball down. If this does not makes any sense just go watch an egg throw contest at your next family picnic. The person catching the egg will have his hands way out in front of him and then bring them back with the egg as he catches it.

However, as I mentioned earlier, in soccer we rarely want to stop the ball dead, so it takes practice to put just the correct touch on the ball so it does not bounce away too far, but does not stop dead at your feet and make you a sitting target. When receiving a ball just a small move of a yard to either side is often enough to get past a defender or open up a passing lane. Remember to practice receiving balls with oncoming defenders so you can work on moving the ball first time to get around the defender.

As always, there are a whole lot of things that go into the fundamentals of soccer. That is why it is so important to practice these “basics” so they can be done without having to think. We want to save our brain power for figuring out what is happening on the field and not use it for remembering the fundamentals.

But let’s get back to a player’s position relative to the rest of the field. This is just as important as putting a good first touch on a ball. After all a player who has good ball control but always ends up facing the wrong direction and therefore missing opportunities does a team little good.

As I always do, let me use an example to clarify my point. Everyone has probably played keep a way in a small box. Imagine that your teammate with the ball is on your right in one corner of the box while you are down a side in another corner. When the ball is played to you, you want to keep as much of the field in view as possible. So if it is safe to do so (no defender around) then let the ball pass in front of you and use your left foot to receive the ball. This will keep you open to the entire field. If the ball is played behind you and you turn clockwise (to your right) and receive the ball with your right foot, then you have just cut off a large portion of the field. However, if you step backwards you can keep the ball and the entire field in front of you. A much better choice.

Thanks to Dean for finding my mistake in the Space podcast. If you want to know what it was check out the comments.

You will also notice that I have a different closing song. I am still using Freakno by Jeff Woolsey as my opening theme, but I decided to feature music from Magnatune.com in the closing just for fun. This song is by Chris Juergensen and I chose it simply because the title is “Bug Lips”

You can find this song and many others at Magnatune.com. Just to clarify they are not sponsoring this podcast in anyway I just like magnatune for finding new music and they allow podcasters to use their music in a podcast without having to pay any royalty fees.

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Thanks for listening

Send your feedback feedback@successfulsoccer.com

I just replied to a comment asking when the next podcast will be out. Then I figured it might make more sense to write a post with an explination.

I am just getting over a bad cold where I lost my voice. I tried recording the next episode twice, but have not been happy with the results. I hope to record something tonight about “receiving” but we will see.

I am also scheduled to record a conversation with Joe Clarke, the head coach at Washington University in St. Louis, tomorow. Hopefully it will make for a more dynamic podcast.

As always, thanks for listening.

Jeffrey

I was just about to go way over my monthly bandwith, so I have moved everything to a new, more powerful server. I hope this does not casue any problems. If so, please let me know.

Thanks,

Jeffrey

feedback [at] successfulsoccer.com

Successful Soccer Podcast
Episode 007gk - Crosses
Show Notes

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This episode is in response to an email I got from Taylor in Lexington, SC

She writes:

Hey I was listening to your tips for catching and they worked well for me
but instead of a W I use a mix between a diamond and W and that works good
for me. But I just had a question for what to do on corners. I am 5′ 4′’
and I am a 16 year old female so thats about as tall as I;m goin to get and
in the goal it’s hard for me to get the high balls, corners, and crosses.
So is there anything you could tell me to help with that? What’s the best
way to cut down angles and stand in the goal when there are crosses and
corners? Right now I stand toward the back of the goal for corner kicks
because I can get more speed running forward than backwards.

Taylor

+++ My Response +++

Taylor,

First of all thanks for listening and taking the time to send me a message. I love the listener mail.

Now on to answering your questions the best I can.

“…instead of a W I use a mix between a diamond and W and that works good for me.”

That is great. Figure out what works best for you and stick with it. However, as you continue to play be sure you always look for ways to improve your catching. It might be tweaking your style or just improving hand strength. Don’t get to the point where you figure it is good enough.

“…in the goal it’s hard for me to get the high balls, corners, and crosses.”

First I would recommend continual work on explosive leg strength. I put my keepers through a plyometric program. I am not a strength expert, so I would recommend you talk to an expert because at 16, I don’t know what would be best for you and I don’t want to cause any problems.

Now how can you improve your skills in the air?

To begin, I like that you already know to stay toward the back. You are absolutely correct that it is easier to go forward than backwards. I would recommend taking that one step further.

Be sure on corners and crosses that your body is facing the field and not turned to the sideline. I always tell my keepers to keep their hips pointing toward the other goal and turn their head to see the ball. This way you are in the position to run forward to any ball that is played into the box. Although it might seem like a small thing, think about how many saves are made just barely. A fraction of a second might be the difference between a fingertip save and giving up a goal.

Next be sure you are good at immediately judging if a ball is lofted or driven. A general rule of thumb (remember all rules need to be broken some time) is that a ball that is driven will get to the center much faster then a lofted ball, so stay in your goal on driven balls and wait for a quick shot. Lofted balls are slower to get to the center, so these you can have a much better chance at getting. Take some time (maybe multiple times) to just stand in the net and watch balls so you can learn to quickly judge if a ball is driven or lofted. Then add some players (attackers and defenders) into the mix and see how people add an additional factor into the decision making. Do this all the time to become and stay successful at judging balls and deciding when to come out.

When you do decide be sure you let others know. I like to use the words “keeper” if the keeper is going to come out and get the ball and “away” if the defenders should play the ball away. Be sure to yell loud and powerfully. Not only do you want your team to know exactly what to do, but you can also use your voice to keep attackers away. If you are good (and loud) at calling for the ball and getting it when you call “keeper” the attacking team will learn that. You will be surprised how a loud “keeper” can sometimes help clear the path to the ball.

You are now at the point where you have a good initial position. You are able to quickly judge if you should leave your net to get the ball or stay put. So what to do to actually get the ball when you should? The saying I like to follow is, “go late and hard.” Let’s break that down.

It sounds weird to say to go late, so let me clarify. A keeper wants to jump from a run, not standing still. You will get more power to get higher if you are running. If you go early you will have to stop and jump from a standing position. Not only does this rob you of power, but it also makes you a sitting duck for aggressive attackers. The keeper wants to be moving forward during contact so they can have momentum and not be knocked silly.

Also, if a keeper jumps early, they will end up catching the ball on the way down. While that does not sound all so bad, trust me it is. By going late and catching the ball as you are still going up, you will be able to have more power if you have to punch the ball and will be able to push the ball away from the attackers (even when holding on to it) instead of pulling it and we have more power to push than pull.

As I have described above, you want power when going for any ball, but especially when fighting for one in the air. So going hard should be obvious as to why.

Wow, there sure is a lot that goes into catching a cross before you ever even get you hands on the ball. That is how it is for most of goal keeping, preparation is everything. Good keepers are not the flashiest, but always seem to be in the right place. Anyway, back on topic.

When you go for a high ball, your jump is (obviously) key. Keepers should always (remember what I sad earlier about breaking rules) jump off of one leg. The proper jump is to throw one leg up in air and jump off the other by rocking from heal to toe.

Time to clarify with an example. Let’s assume a keeper is in the net and she needs to get a cross that will arrive on her left side. I am also going to assume the attackers are coming from the middle of the field. The keeper is going to go to the ball late and hard (or course) so she is running to the ball. As she prepares to jump she should throw her right leg (keeping her knee bent) up as hard as she can. This will take her quadriceps (a very large and heavy muscle) in her right leg and get it going in the direction she wants to go, up. This builds momentum and makes it easier to get the rest of her body up in the air. Having her right leg up in front of her also offers protection against the overzealous attackers.

That is the basic steps for getting to a high ball. I hope it is at least a little bit of help.

“What’s the best way to cut down angles and stand in the goal when there are crosses and corners?”

For corners, be sure to use your entire team. Because you typically stand closer to the back post instead of the front (This is a good rule to break when the attacking team can’t or doesn’t hit the corner past the near post.), set up your defense to help. I suggest a defender on the near or front post as well as one at about the 6 yard box just a yard or so from the end line. These two defenders are responsible for any short cross. If the team likes to hit long crosses, I would put a player on the back post as well. Reminder her that she does not have to be exactly on the post, but should be inside the goal about an arm’s length from the post. Then have your team’s best headers either marking up the best attackers, or about on the 6 yard box lined up close to the goal posts. They can move closer to the goal when the kick is an in-swinger. Have them stand like you are, with their hips facing the other goal. This will help them remember that they should only go for balls that will be farther away from the goal then they are. If they start moving towards the goal to get balls in the air, they will get in your way and increase their chance of scoring on you. But these are just suggestions, listen to your coach.

For your positioning, I like being closer to the back post as we have previously agreed upon. If the kick will be an in-swinger be closer to on the goal line. If it is an out-swinger, take a step towards the 6 yard line. Either way, remember to have your body facing out and turn your head to see the ball.

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Thanks for listening

Who will be the first person to review Successful Soccer in itunes. I don’t care if it is good or bad, as long as it is useful information.

Always thanks to

Music - Jeff Woolsey FREAKNO
www.sonicduderanch.com

Talk to you next time on Successful Soccer

Successful Soccer Podcast
Episode 006 - Space
Show Notes

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SPACE

To keep it simple I am going to talk about USING & CREATING space

Very straight forward
USE-> Run into open space
CREATE-> Run to make space where you were. Perhaps pull a defender

Start with USING

As discussed in Episode 1, to me running is the big thing in soccer

Typically don’t want to be standing still
Want to move into an open space
Receive the ball in the space doesn’t have to be a ton, just away from dangerous defenders

Places to find space
Between defenders, especially when the team is playing a zone.
Look between center & wide players
Look between lines or defenders and midfielders, strikers & mids
Look wide of everyone
Look for balls played behind players that you can run onto

Typically space behind the person with the ball.
Don’t be directly behind, be at an angle
Sidenote: also think what happens if your teammate looses the ball.
Be in a supportive position

Remember to go to a space that the ball can be played into
Have seen players want a ball that would have to go through a person to get to the space

Front line can’t run offside, so how they ask?

Run horizontally along or just in front of the defense
Perhaps even bend the run a little to make sure you stay on side

So for example.
Right mid has the ball on the line and the striker is in the center of the field
If the striker wants the ball down the right sideline, must run along the line of the defenders
The Mid can play the ball down the right sideline, then the attacker breaks and turns his run up field.
Remember offside is when the ball is played

Another great place to find space is a step or more closer to the ball
If everyone just runs towards the goal they are attacking, there is a lot of kick an run, in my opinion, this is not soccer

Take a quick step towards the ball, this does a couple things
Moves you into space, increases the distance between you and defender and may actually create space where the defender is or was.
Develops into the classic Short-short-long

What a segue into CREATING space.

Too many people only want to USE space for their own personal opportunities.

A high level player will understand it is just as important if not more to create space.

Creating space is just what is sounds like. Running to move yourself out of space and create space for (more than likely) someone else. A s-s-l may create space for yourself. WE will get to that.

Think of the example from earlier. If the striker in the center of the field is marked and runs toward the sideline, more often than not a defender will go with him or her. If not the whole way at least for a moment.

If the defender follows the striker who is moving wide, space is created where that striker and defender were.

A team that works together can capitalize on this opening and send the other striker into that position or maybe a midfielder or even a defender who would most likely be unmarked.

The space does not have to be huge, just enough to give a teammate the space to get the ball.

If soccer isn’t a game of inches, it is definitely a game where a couple of feet can make all the difference.

So although the player getting the ball in the open space may look like the hero, it is actually the initial striker who created the space that deserves a lot of the credit.

This is just one example of CREATING space, there are millions of different opportunities in every game. Start looking for them and figuring out how to be a complete player by creating more space than you use.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thanks for listening

Who will be the first person to review Successful Soccer in itunes. I don’t care if it is good or bad, as long as it is useful information.

Always thanks to

Music - Jeff Woolsey FREAKNO
www.sonicduderanch.com

The next podcast should be up soon because I already have a topic thanks to Taylor from Lexington, SC

Talk to you next time on Successful Soccer

An often overlooked skill for a keeper to have is the ability to get up off the ground (e.g. after a dive) without using their hands to push themselves up.

Many of my keepers have argued this point, but I always tell them if you are on the ground and need to get to a ball that is out in front of you, if your hands are pushing you up they can’t move to the ball until you are up. However, if your hands are off the ground they can get to the ball faster as you are getting up using your legs and abs.

THE HOW TO:

Start as if the keeper just dove to make a save to the right, lying on right side.

Quickly kick out to straighten the left leg (the one up off the ground)

This creates momentum in that direction (up off the ground)

Your abs will do have to do the rest.
This is yet another reason why Keepers must have a strong, well developed core.

Your right leg (the one on the ground) needs to be bent at the knee and have your right foot underneath body so you can get up on it and then pop up.

Remember the more force applied in kick out of the upper leg will help develop more momentum and get up quicker.

As with everything you must Practice, Practice, Practice.

My suggestion is to make sure you do this every day during your warm ups and in drills where you can focus on proper technique.

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For this podcast I am going to post an enhanced version of the notes that I develop so I stay focused when I am recording. Let me know what you think.

Jeffrey

Defending 1 on 1

Cameron (Austin, Tx) is interested on tips for defending, specifically “what to do when the attacker is coming at you and it’s one on one.”

First make sure you have a good Approach:
Straight line may be shortest, but not best
Curve your run. Get between ball & goal first

Slow & deliberate
The closer you get to attacker, the slower & smaller steps

Lower your center of gravity, get your butt down.

First thing Attackers should do is look at taking a shot.

So the first thing the defender needs to do is take away the shot.
Be between ball and goal and then close down (get closer to attacker)
If you are too far away, you will just act as a screen for your keeper
Make sure you are under control.
Don’t get beat on the dribble. (see below)

Second thing an attacker should do is look to pass.
Take away the passing lanes that are most dangerous
Typically would get the ball closer to the goal then you

Force the attacker where they are less dangerous or where you want.

Typically wide, but could be into your defenders.

Force the attacker by giving more space to go where you want.
If forcing to the sideline, then cut off the lanes to the middle of the field and make it enticing for him to dribble or pass down the line.

If there is no pass, the attacker will dribble.

The important thing to remember is that a defender’s job is not to steal the ball, but keep the attacker from attacking.

Patience is an absolute must.

Most players below the level of skilled college players will end up giving the ball to the patient defender.

By slowing down the attacker and keeping them from getting by, you set up the opportunity for a double team from one of your teammates.

How to do this.

Again, lower your center of gravity, get your butt down.
Don’t face the attacker straight on.

Turn on an angle.

For Cameron who is playing in the left back position & assuming he wants to force attacker down the sideline

Right foot will be closer to the attacker and on the defender’s left side

This puts the ball on the attacker’s strong foot, but keeps the defender between the ball and goal.

Now you know where the attacker s going to go, that helps.
Work with your teammates and direct them where you want support.

Be patient and watch the ball.

Depending on skill level you can watch the attacker’s hips, where the hips go so does the rest of the body

However, a skilled player will be deceptive, don’t fall for any feints.

If you have been patient and set up a double team then you can win the ball. Not necessarily both defenders right on the ball. One behind ready to pick up the passed ball

To get by a player needs to change pace, change direction or both.
The attacker will typically push the ball farther ahead to change pace.
Then your teammate scoops up the ball.

Better to have your team win possession then one player try to do it all.

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Although I typically like the keeper to take his or her own goal kicks, this podcast can be generalized to any type of dead ball situation.

When I train keepers (or anyone) on taking goal kicks there are three steps that I want them to focus on. Approach, Contact, & Follow through

Here is an image that I refer to in the podcast. The red dot is where contact should typically be made when hitting a typical deadball.

Direct Download of Episode SS003-Goalkicks

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Thanks to Matt at Unhandled Exceptions for developing a very cool theme for people to use on their WordPress blogs. Think the drop down menus on the right side are what attracted me to use this theme.

Also, a big thanks to my brother-in-law Jeff Woolsey for the music “Freakno” that adds a little excitement and flavor to my podcasts. You can find more of his music and art at Sonic Dude Ranch

As always send me your feedback. I love to hear what you are thinking.
feedback [at] successfulsoccer.com

Podcast number 2. It is a goalkeeper edition (thus the gk after the number) and is about catching a ball.

Successful Soccer Podcast
Direct Download of Episode SS002gk - Catching

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Show Notes
In a nutshell:
See the ball and the flight of the ball
Move your feet
Drop the dimond and stick with the W to win.

Thanks!

Jeffrey
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