Women's college formation/tactics discussion.

I said I wouldn't, but here is another video with some fair weather examples. It works the same as with snow. In the 1st game against the ECNL finalist 2 months earlier - keep had 35 touches 1st half and using this push up method we were ahead 1:0 so coach moved to less risky (traditional stack the defense) and they scored twice on us the 2nd half. They were/are a better team.


There has not been a breakdown (goal) from playing outside the area that has resulted in a goal yet. Its no more strange than a 2-4-4 is it? Keeper started outside the PA on most these attacks. 2:38 http://youtu.be/AxtWDJWC4xc?hd=1
(and yes of course I'm a proud papa - and have video - but this is a different formation, don't you think?)

In this video I don't see a keeper playing high I see a keeper player properly in a flat back four system.

I've been reviewing WAY too much video. I have over 200 games of youth women playing - about 10 DI and the rest top G14-G17. I'm cleaning house before my kid goes to college. Anyway - on topic:

Here is what I see....(formation aside).

The top youth and middle DI - just feel about the same. The top youth are more skilled and the middle DI more mass and meaner.

The refs are better in college - or so I think.

-Very very rarely do girls take it from the back to the front through the mids.
-Girls do not play as wide (as guys). They is almost always a 10 yard lane by the touch lines.
-Girls play closer and pass closer.
-Attacking defenders can make it from the back to the front and croos it using the touchlines
-Few attacks / shots on goal come straight on
-And as seen in the clips of my GK - it is very rare for a shot to be taken from the defensive half.
-GK distribution to the backs works better than a punt. Normally the ball will get to the attacking third.
-Goal kicks are a waste of time.
-Speed rules for forwards - esp on those through balls
-Players that can keep the ball near their feet are harder for the keeper to read vs those that set up the shot
-Ground shots work better
-Keepers spend too much time on their lines (biased keeper dad)

While the first comment may be true for some teams, I do not believe it is true for the best D1 teams.

Having watched Christine Sinclair play college soccer for four years, I think the second comment is true. Christine almost always shot on the ground to the far corner. It was only late in her college career that she shot higher if and as necessary.

I agree with about half of what is said here.
-While I agree that a lot of girls teams don't play through the mids, I do see it and have noticed the trend to do so more in the last few years at the club level.
-My daughters team play with their heels on the touchline. In fact I think they tend to get stuck out there and don't switch the field enough.
-Not sure what you mean by this, but I've noticed our team get a lot of service/crosses from the backs pushing up. A lot of times from wingers who are dropping the ball to them out wide in the attcking third.
-Lot's of shots from between the arc!
-Who and at what level does anyone shoot it from the defensive half?
-I agree not enough working the ball out of the back from the goalie. Too many punts, and unfortunately some teams depend on a strong footed goalie to put pressure on defenses with big punts.
-Saw several goalies this weekend with goal kicks to the half way line or just short. I saw one goalie consistently kicking it past the half way line! That is tricky to play the short pass out from goal kicks.
-Agree. No substitute for speed. And if you can couple that with skill and techinque sign her up.
-Agree, but most have to set up the shot, so a little confused by the statement.
-My general thought is that at distance you're going to get the ball in the air, but from inside the box keep it on the ground.

Thanks for this little respit from work.

A year has gone by. A few spring games against some strong opponents - DI now. Still the same. Got scored on a lot and team scored more (so won the games). This puts more players in the opponents half - and seems to also allow more breakaway goals.

Still very interesting to me.

Check out the positions that the coach themselves played and it often drives the formation. Big Ten and what we see around midwest is typically a 4 - 4 - 2 and it is as boring as could be with a heck of a lot of crowd in the defensive midfield areas....especially if the coach pulls back their midfielders and often their forwards. The goalie can't come off the line (or don't need to come off the line) or they'd be knocking heads and tangling arms with their own players giving the number of players on the defense. This formation usually means defenders are relied on to move forward on the outside, and then midfielders have to squeeze in. One team is hoping for one breakout moment to get out of their defensive zone. Prefer a 3 - 4- 3 for a more exciting game, but no team will chance that unless the other team is using same strategy. If they don't use this more offensive strategy, then in a 4-4-2 formation they should be using their central midfields to move up top more often (eg. VD on Illinois team has a strong scoring record as a midfielder because she is used almost like a forward and it works for the Illini). Coach was a standout offensive player herself and this seems to come through in her coaching. But for many other programs, we tend to see all the midfielders on the defense which shifts the game to "all about the defense".

In high school the coach so loaded the defense players could barely move. There was just a difficult path to the goal. I prefer fewer defenders if the teams are matched.
With the keeper playing high and 3 in the back I saw us get scored on more and score even more. We got the Ws. However I think coaches would prefer the clean sheet 1-0 wins over a multiple goals for both sides wins. Just a hunch. I counted 22 touches by the keeper playing high and she recorded no saves. I think the whole stat keeping is on criteria that has come to be expected. It like the W stat only...

My girl started playing 433 a few years ago after a few years of 442 with a centre diamond. At first I was overly impressed with 433 as it became predictable. As the years progressed and more experienced coaches came along its turned into an art that is very interesting to watch with players have multiple roles and the structural morphs depending on whether attacking or defending. A good centre forward can direct compressed or open play without saying a word by her actions.
I'm assuming your 433 is staggered in a way that looks like 4 2 1 3 in attack and the wide forwards drop back to 4 2 3 1 in defence. Centre forward plays between the centre backs and often offside to mess with backs heads until a few seconds before the midfield play starts, then steps back onside.

Its the tactical use of formation that's fun to watch. These are only HS kids.

It was very frustrating to watch HS. We had 4-5 clubs and their style mixed in with the HS coach's style and some bad officiating and it was just a smack down.

Or in the case of our center forward, forgets to step back and is offside 5 or 6 times a game.

Haha! Yes it does require some discipline but you can uncompressed their defence with some practice.
Should never stand still in that role so both CB's are looking over their shoulder.