"So tell me about your week": The Fall 2012 discussion thread

If so, I have had his site on my favorites for many years....but I still think the video's analysis is focused only on match results with no consideration of the system's value for player development.

And I think defending with two lines behind the ball will get better match results.
1. Adds depth to the defense.
2. Keeps the team shape more compact with the lines within supporting distance. The value here is that on transistion to attack it promotes playing short passes through the middle third into the attacking third. Without close support the penetration options are dribble or long pass.

Keep in mind that nice video clip with the Barca U-Littles playing a 231. Great off the ball movement. Nice decision making. The 2 CBs get a lot of touches, linking with the keeper behind, CM in front and flankers outside. To get that kind of involvement with a 3 back defense is going to be much more difficult.

 

Big day for me. My regular U-12's win 2-1. My man-child 2nd half goalkeeper saves a PK and parry's one late effort. We played a decent team. I was just very happy to watch the players try to execute the technical stuff that we practiced on Saturday. We had lots of chances, just couldn't finish. My second U-12 team of lower players/U-10 players just moving up also won, for the first time this season. Just happy they could have at least one win this fall season, but there is a lot of work to be done.

All this after my O-40 match. Lost 2-1, but it might have been the funnest adult game I've ever played in. Two good teams playing a pissing rain that did not stop the entire game.

Now I get to sit back and watch the EPL review show and sip a Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale.

 

The U12 girls rec team I help coach is 6-0 and just overpower the teams we were playing. We are blessed to have a great group of girls, half of whom I've coached on different teams since they were six and seven. It's been way too easy for them so the head coach and I had them scrimmage a local U12 club team to keep them from getting a big head, and to expose them to a more competitive team.

They held their own in the first half but were being muscled around by the club team and their speed of play wasn't up to snuff, as we expected. After a quick brief at halftime they started to play more aggressively and raised their game. It was like needing a pop in the mouth to get their attention. We lost 4-0 but had many chances in the second half that just didn't go our way. We as coaches learned as well, trying different combos up top, seeing who worked well together and trying some different tactics.

We had a second game Sunday against one of the weaker teams in our division, so we had them play a 2-3-2 versus our usual 3-3-1. It was more of a challenge and a closer game, but they have learned the mental game in leaps and bounds because of it and we can now switch formations during a game should we need to. We play two strong teams in our last two regular season games, and I think they're better prepared by what we did this week.

 

We had a game Saturday and one Sunday for my U-11's. The first game was against the second place team in the league. We won 4-2 and were unlucky to not have won by more. The other team seemed to get upset in the second half and started hacking my boys left and right. Eventually you could see the kids just wanted to finish the game and get out of there in one piece. The Sunday game we played one of the last place teams and only won 2-1 on a last minute goal. Literally, the last kick of the ball and then game over. We could barely string two passes together that game but a win's a win sometimes. I just think it's funny that none of the kids who who scored the winner. It came off a corner, semi cleared, and sent in back low. In the scramble someone got a toe on the ball and then two of my kids and one from the other team all stretched off balance and whiffed and somehow the ball rolled in the goal off the far post. We are now in second and only behind on GD. We tied the first place team early in the season too.

I did have to say kudos to the other coach though. One of my defenders went down injured and the ref blew the whistle while we had possession. The other coach told his team to play the drop ball back to our keeper to restart the game. That was pretty cool since so many other coaches don't seem to have that kind of sportsmanship. We've had a few run set plays on a free kick for similar situations.

 

You need to piss off the ref and get sent to the stands

 

Can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain this seemingly 'simple' situation to my players yet they (and opposing team) treat it like an NHL face off. I sorta blame the usually inexperienced referees who don't craftily take a quick unopposed drop ball to the team that should have the possession.

 

We started doing drop balls this season, and I've had to explain to players on the fly (at top volume) what we're supposed to do. In two of the three cases, the right thing to do was not to contest it.

This week's opposing coach really appreciated the gesture.

 

The hard part is the whole retarded "take a knee" and 15 kids drop into a Tebow.

I would sound/look like a dick if I call my team over, even if I just tell them to kick it to the other team.
Also, of course the unthinkable, we kick it to the other team and the goalkeeper misplays it.

 

Here's the expensive way to get some video from on high:
http://hipod.com/hi-pod-products/hi-pod-mobile/


And some guy made a frugal version using a two-wheel dolly, some pulleys, line, PVC and a painter's pole:
http://filmflap.blogspot.com/2011/11/alan-lachs-diy-frugalpod.html

The video example link for the FrugalPod doesn't work, but it had some footage he took of a U14 game. I'm somewhat tempted to try building one but I wonder what looks I'd get at the game field when I bring this contraption and set it up.

 

That's impressive of the school to do that for him. As someone who has lost track of his concussions and years later is still suffering from the lingering aftereffects, from it, I wish him the best. If he or his parents ever need somewhere to turn on a personal level, don't hesitate to send me a PM. If I didn't marry a nurse (after all this, mind you, because she would have cut off my playing days if I knew her then), I'd probably still be lost.

 

I know what I'm going to try to make this off season. One of my teams has a manager who films the games from the sidelines and then posts the highlight videos on Facebook for us. I'm sure she'd love to use this.

 

NYS has mandated a lot of that for school sports this year with new concussion legislation. Home-based tutoring has been around for a while as well.

 

Story of my life right there.

 

Absolutely. I get weird looks or "he's too hardcore" when I even suggest using (some) video for younger teams. Many of these kids watch pro games or play FIFA already and know in a general sense what their looking at. You show them a high-angle video from one of their recent games and those things they learn by watching random players on the XBOX are multiplied when they see themselves doing it (or not doing it.) I'm not talking about every single game and review sessions obviously; just an occasional video.

I took my DSLR that shoots video to one of my son's academy play days recently and shot about 15-20 minutes of play from my chair. I put about 5-7 minutes of examples (good and not so good) from the video on my iPad and got one of those telestrator apps to draw on the video. My son loves doing things on the iPad and he loved being able to watch himself play.

I could pause and draw on the screen to show him some simple, individual things he likely couldn't tell he was doing while playing, such as pressuring the ball, getting his head up to see more options, better opportunities for shots. He really got into it and drew some lines himself. I think it helped get the points across better than only going in the backyard to show him or drawing on a clipboard. We had fun watching it and had a little bonding time as well.

As a player myself a long time ago, we never had much of an opportunity to watch pro games on TV, play realistic soccer video games, or watch good feedback video like that. It would have really expanded my awareness and knowledge of the game back then.

 

So... my two back-to-back games did not go well. This is going to be the short version. At halftime of the first game, we were tied 0-0 and mostly executing the game plan we had practiced in a 4-1-4-1 system. Fast forward five minutes into the second half and we led that game 1-0. Fast forward from then to now, nighttime after second game... and we lost both games conceding EIGHT goals in about 100 minutes of soccer. Really made me miss coaching club and only having 1 game per weekend during the season. Oh well!!

 

After losing our first three games, we were up 4-3 late in our game. Then we gave up a good chance when our keeper kicked straight up the middle of the field, where the other team quickly got it.

We yelled to remind our keeper not to do that.

Maybe 45 seconds later, our keeper kicked up straight up the middle of the field and gave up the equalizer.

First result of the season, though, and a nice effort from everyone.

 

Got my first ejection as a coach today. There is a long history of the local league not liking little teams like us. Sporting KC has pretty much bought out the largest club which then bought out a bunch of other clubs. If you aren't one of them, good luck getting a fair game in. As the season's gone on, it's gotten worse for us too. Our team is all Hispanic except for one white boy. The local preppy whitebread upscale families don't appreciate that we have a better team. Some of the parents were encouraging their kids to hurt our players!
It all started when a kid on the other team was warned by the ref for a hard tackle and then he immediately took out another of my kids with only a foul called. The AR on our side decided every throw in was illegal. We even made the kid stand flat footed but somehow he was still called for lifting a foot. A few other idiotic calls were made or not made. One of the kids was throwing elbows and punching my defenders right in front of the ref with no call. Then right before half, our RB crossed the ball to the LM who was clearly onside and finished his chance. The AR flagged for the LM being offside (which he was, but wasn't anywhere near the play). I confronted the ref at halftime to ask and they both told me the RM made a move to the ball so it was offside. WTF? I guess running forward to help in a play is wrong.
Second half, same stuff goes on. Our keeper picks up the ball and gets kicked for it. He retaliated with a punch and the ref carded him and gave a pk which he saved. The field marshal was apparently called on our coaching staff for yelling at the ref trying to get protection for our kids and he came over to our sideline. Long story short, a few words later, I ended up being removed. The parents loved it though. I felt bad but they were just grateful to have someone sticking up for their kids who were getting mauled. Our manager tapes the games so I hope she got some good stuff to show the league before next weekend. At least we still won 3-0 with the third goal coming from a kid who had two chances to let himself fall down in the box after being tripped but he stayed up and finished the play off right.

 

My U-12 team scrimmaged our U-9 Cup tournament team yesterday. The U-9's are U-8's, so this tournament form they are playing is U-12 rules ( I know stupid, but I don't make the rules).

Was disgusted with them yesterday. We talked about how this was the U-9's scrimmage. I wanted them moving the ball. We didn't need a track meet - we are 3-4 years older, no kidding you can out run them. Their competitive instict took over and it was out running rather than out skilling. Yes we won like 9-2 but that wasn't the point.

Today's game will be now under the requirement of # of passes completed before a shot.