Topic of the Week - Communication & Having your back to the goal

Players,

I watched a U17 boys soccer game this week and the score was 6-1. The winning team did two things that gave them a distinct advantage. Now this shouldn't come to you as a complete surprise but take a guess at what the number 1 thing I heard (this is a clue) as I watched the game. COMMUNICATION!!!!!! They were telling each other things like, "Take it left", "man on - send it right", " Drop, Drop", "I am coming left" and on and on. I could hear them talking all over the field. The losing team talked at times but they didn't do it effectively or help each other enough.

If your house was on fire, wouldn't you yell for everyone to get out? Wouldn't you tell them to go out the window or crawl on the ground to the doorway? I firmly believe that on the soccer field, you MUST talk with as much conviction and force as you would if your house was on fire.

The second thing the winning team did was knew how to control the ball with their back to the goal. The defending team allowed them to turn and get a shot off. This happened over and over and you can see the results by the score.

This week I am posting a short article that I think highlights both of those points. Read it and incorporate it into your play. Combine that with the other things we are learning and you will see tremendous results on the field.


Playing with your back to goal
By Tony Carr

This session is aimed at improving attackers' understanding and skills with their backs to goal. It is a skill in itself being able to turn or move the ball into space without having the luxury of seeing where all the defenders and the goalkeeper are.

A lot of being able to play this role comes from communication with the players around them. Movement by the other players is essential so that the player with their back to goal has a lot of options and doesn't end up turning into trouble and losing the ball.

Keeping possession is important because the team will be in an attacking position. Lose it here and your team will be caught out of position vulnerable to the counter attack.

What you have to think about is:
Is the turn realistic?
Is the player getting communication from his team mates?
Has the player made the right decision - pass back to a team mate or turn and beat the defender?

Tony Carr is the Academy Director of West Ham United in the English Premier League

Think about those questions and also remember the importance of communicating all the time not just once in a while or when you feel like it.

Coach