Beating the Deep Sweeper

[dasoccerplayafosho]

hello all-

I think that this thread should be more about strategy and working on your game rather than painting your boots or growing your hair, so here we go-

How do you beat the Deep Sweeper? (there are 3 defenders, one in the front then 2 behind him, one right and one left, and then far behind them in the center is the deep sweep)

I was watching an intense soccer game in which both teams played a deep sweep. They would both try to play through-balls, but it wasn't working. I found out that the best way, since they were playing a man to man, was to work the ball into the middle of the field, find a man running down the flanks/sidelines, and hit them with a pass, and have them either dribble towards the center, or cross (either on the air or in the ground) all 6 goals that were scored were scored this way.

[Deuteriumoxide]

Well, I see this all the time as the local highschool team I support plays with a sweeper. Playing with a sweeper, or with a diamond defense...

-----------sweep
rightback-----------left back
-----------Stopper(dmid)

and actually playing it as a 4-4-2 on a wide field against a team that can pass worth anything is suicide. The team I watch wants to have their cake and eat it too. They want to play with a three man back line but they also want to have fullbacks who overlap. Thus leaving miles of space.

The best way to beat the deep sweeper is by having team mates make off the ball runs and then supplying them with diagonal pieces. It is difficult to beat a sweeper 1v1 because if the coach is worth anything he has a fast kid playing sweeper and even if you beat him with a move he is probably quick enough to recover.

If a team is playing with a sweeper exploit the space.

[phillys]

I play as a left back on a 4-4-2 line up.. .I'm usually in charge of my team's defense line... so, how can I improve on it? Thanks :)

[Bleacherbutt]

Like was pointed out above, diagonal pieces are a critical component to beating the deep sweeper. I would also add another wrinkle--the forwards need to cross one another frequently--switching sides of the fields. This will force the sweeper to made a decision on who will be covered. Oftentimes, this is where communication breaks down and the defense becomes vulnerable.

[soccer4life_7]

hey i play sweaper ..pretty fast but ill say one thing try running into space.

[dasoccerplayafosho]

yes, I think the main ideas in beating a deep sweeper are the following (not in order of importance)

1) Get the sweeper to move out of position
2) Create Confusion
3) Find the open space
4) fast playing (althought his could go under creating confusion

[dienasty]

play balls from the wing. pretty simple. wack it in if you cant play to feet. ive seen people try to bunker up against teams like real madrid or like Germany did against USA in the world cup and wing play and chipping it in over a thick defense usually works.

[McGinty]

I think I remember hearing/reading Andy Gray say something about having a forward get as close to the sweeper as possible since most sweeper tactics involve the other central defenders man marking. This would essentially draw both the sweeper and a marking back away from another dangerous area of the field.

[dasoccerplayafosho]

it also matters if they play a man to man or a zone (using basketball terms). the strategy that i was talking about was for a man to man. Against a zone, it's moving the ball a little, and then passing into space, since the players position themselves by where the ball is and where the player that they're trying to cut off the passing lane of is

[dasoccerplayafosho]

I play as a left back on a 4-4-2 line up.. .I'm usually in charge of my team's defense line... so, how can I improve on it? Thanks :)Most teams dont understand much behind playing besides "pass the ball to the open man". Make sure that the open man they'll be passing the ball to is the most worthless man on the field, in your case you want them to pass it to someone marked on the side, or that doesnt have a through ball lane open.

[C. Ronaldo7]

beat a deep sweeper by taking outside shots and this will draw him up to cut off a shot. Also along the same lines someone could wait at the top of the 18 for a shot instead of going in to finish of a cross in the box.

[tubby_butter]

Most of the posts here are right, and add up to one thing : you want to draw the sweeper out of the middle to create space there. Then put the ball into the space.

A good sweeper will be able to read the game and get into a good position ahead of the developing play. So, you essentially have to play to the wings and beat the outside back with any number of methods (give and go, through ball, one v one, etc). Then, the sweeper will absolutely have to cover the beaten player. The attacker can then decide whether to put in a cross, or use a middle player to change the point of attack. Either way, you have taken the sweeper out of the play.

Sometimes, coaches will put their fastest player back there because this will stop athletic teams from running on to through balls from deep. However, if this quick player isn't very good in the air, then your outside mid can send in early crosses to the box without having to beat the outside back (he will just have to get his cross of quickly enough). And, obviously your forwards will need to make their runs into the box earlier.

[soccermainiac2003]

i play sweeper for my u14 team and i would say the best idea is to draw a sweeper out to the sides or to use a dummy player that is slower than the forward and make the sweeper pay mor attention to the slower player and then use the fast forward with long balls, through balls, ect



Also, what is the best way to captain a defense

Thanks