Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: Barcelona, drill, exercise, passing, session, spain, success, win
A lot of coaches have been asking me “how can I make my team play like Spain”. Sometimes with youth players you need to let them have success at doing things before they get the belief in themselves that they can do it. Using unopposed exercises for build-up and combination play in attack is a good way of coaching your players to move the ball, and encourages movement to support the ball as play moves around the pitch. And because it is unopposed they will experience some of the moves that Spain or Barcelona create.
In this session, strikers and midfielders combine with a neat lay off and a precise threaded ball to set up a shot across the goalkeeper.
Set up a 40 yards by 30 yards playing area with four mannequins (poles or cones will do), two cones and two goals. You need eight outfield players and two goalkeepers.
How to play it
- The forwards move away from the mannequin to receive a pass.
- The forwards set the pass back to the supporting midfielders.
- The midfielders return the pass into space for the forwards to spin and run after. The forwards now shoot across the goal.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Refereeing, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training
I find it very interesting to watch small-sided games with professional players taking part. I took time to study Barcelona’s 15 minute training match – 6v6 (including goalkeepers) with one neutral player. Apart from the huge crowd watching, I find it mesmerising to watch the fast passing moves.
What stands out is the passing out from the back, the individual ball mastery and the fact that given space they shoot. This means the defending team has to stay tight on the attacking team or they will exploit the space quickly.
The movement is wonderful. How much easier is it to find a pass when you have three or four options? Also note that the goalkeepers play it short so they build up play and move as a unit up the pitch.
It is also great to see the number of passes in such a small area, the size of the area is less than half of the pitch. This means the players are used to controlling and passing in tight areas and get used to quick close control when they receive a pass or they will lose the ball.
Left foot, right foot, passes, shots, chips. Brilliant. And how many times do players go down injured? Hardly at all – they press and intercept no need to slide tackle because they can win the ball back by forcing the opposition to make mistakes.
If you get chance to show your players this session, please do. They will learn such a lot by just watching the way the players work as a team to keep the ball.
See the session below
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