Formation/gameplan for a slow old coed team

[babieca]

I'm trying to come up with a game plan for my coed intramural team and I'd love any suggestions you all have.

Our biggest problem is fitness/athleticism. We are all grad students with an average age in the neighborhood of 30 and we are playing undergrads who are generally about ten years younger, faster, and in much better shape. There are unlimited subs and players can come off and on so we try to deal with the age issue by subbing frequently and always having fresh legs on the field.

Unfortunately, the league rules require five women on the field at all times and we seldom have more than one or two subs for the women. Our women are often gassed by he end of games. We have a good female goal keeper so we will mostly be playing with four women and six men in the outfield.

I'm no coach, just a guy who likes to run around kicking a ball, but someone's got to organize the team so I'm stepping up. Please excuse any glaring errors and I'd love any thoughts you have.

My plan right now is to run a 443, slowing things down in the middle of the field as much as possible, attacking up the flanks, and having our two most athletic guys (and our strongest subs) at RM and LM.

Here is my plan:

......................................GK: Female...............................................


LB: Male............CB: Female..............CB: Male.........RB: Female(w/sub)...



....................................CM: Female (w/ub).......................................

..........LM: Fit Male...................................RM: Fit Male.......................



.....................................CF: Big Female............................................

........LF: Male.................................................RF: Male.....................



Duties:

CF: Plays back to the goal, holds ball/distributes, pass off to forwards/outside mids. Crashes goal on all shots to pick up any loose balls.

LF/RF: Score Goals.

LM/RM: move the ball down the lines, pinch in to top of box on attack. Get back on Defense.

CM: Defensive minded. Slow down all play coming through the middle. Give outside mids time to get back and help on defense. Step up in possession to give CF someone to pass off to, distribute out to wings.

CB: Stop the attack up the middle with one player going to the ball and another staying home to pick up players in the box or if a player gets through. Once you have possession, distribute the ball to the wings so outside backs and outside mids can start the attack

LB/RB: stop attacks up the flank, off the ball mark outside attackers trying to get in behind the defense. Distribute balls up the line to outside mids.

GK: Stop goals. Distribute balls to outside.

[Twenty26Six]

Does the "big female" know you're posting shit about her on BigSoccer? ;) :D

[ChrisSSBB]

If you play a 4-3-3, it is important that everyone knows their role. The midfielders are more 3 CM's playing in a triangle (can be 2 back 1 up, or 1 back 2 up) and helping to congest midfield. If your outside mids get engaged in playing width, the midfield tends to get pulled apart and over run by the opposition. Typically, it is the outside backs and outside forwards that provide the width in a 4-3-3.

If you play 3 forwards, it is important that they don't get stuck only moving vertically or playing flat across as it becomes too easy and predictable for the defense and a waste of an attacking player. Because you have an extra attacker, 4-3-3 usually involves the 3 forwards applying high pressure defense when the ball is turned over.

It's worth a try and the 4-3-3 is great with teams that know how to run it, but if you see the opposition constantly running unopposed onto your defense and your 3 forwards standing at midfield waiting unsuccessfully to get the ball, you may want to try something else.

[deuteronomy]

I would play a 4-4-2 and put the best two players one up top and one at attacking midfield. Counterattack with them and keep the form in the back and in the midfield. It has been my experience that typically in these leagues the best counters come right down the middle. Counterattacking down the wings is difficult, particularly if you don't have good players filling in the middle.

[rca2]

433 is the way to go to minimize running. Don't go with a formation that uses wing halves. (An alternative is the 343.) As someone mentioned earlier, normally a 433 is run with three CMs. Less makes play more predictable. I like the three forwards to interchange within their line a lot too. You don't mention ball skills. Male or female, you need your best passers in the midfield spots. You can get away with one weak player in a three man midfield, but not two--unless your opponents are not playing the normal formations with 4 or 5 in the midfield. If you have any women with good ball skills, use them as forwards. If you must designate a holding (defensive midfielder) instead of three CMs, I recommend she/he be nominally the left midfielder as typically more attacks will come at your left side.

The advantage to the 433 is immediate width in the attack after a transition. So get the ball early to a forward for direct play. If you put your speedy attacking players in the forward positions instead of the midfield, the midfielders will have a horrible time supporting the attack. Don't use a high pressure defense if you are overmatched in skill or if fatigue is a factor. Begin the defense in the middle third instead.

In a 4-man back I have had some luck playing with the slower weaker players on the wings with the skilled fast players in the center. Fastest backs on the wings works well if all the backs are skilled. If you can't defend everything you should, defend the center best. This goes generally with the idea that you position your best players down the center of the field so that they can influence play the most. In a 433 that means the best four players are the two CBs, CM, and CF.

If your team cannot play direct at all, use a 442 and play possession if your skills are up to it. The forwards should be good at holding the ball. If overmatched, you want at least one forward that can run down long passes into space and score unsupported on the counterattack. Two is more threatening. If the two forwards are not working the defense hard enough, more of your opponents will be supporting their attack.

PS: The team that wins is not usually the team with the best individuals, but rather the team that gets the most players involved in the attack. Avoid marginalizing players. Getting them all involved will also be more fun for everyone.

[babieca]

Thanks for all the replies.

Last season our defense actually did pretty well, only allowing six goals in our official four game campaign, but we only put in four (nobody bothered keeping track of the friendlies). The back four will all be coming back again.

Last year we ended up starting everything up the middle and would often lose the ball in midfield and end up playing most of the game in our own half. We had a really hard time winning clearances to the midfield or any long passes up the middle, thus the plan to run thigns up the wings more.

All three of our midfielders have good skills on the ball and the two outside have good speed.

Here's last years group of superstars:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v353/120/29/525819744/n525819744_1473539_7815.jpg

I'm proud to say that we represent eight countries on four continents, just one of the reasons I love this game.

[Monkey Boy]

Personally my preference would be to take your best, and most in shape, players and put them in the middle sharing duties with a 4-4-2.

Play a flat 4 with 2 decent men in the middle and 2 women on the outsides -- the men can usually take care of leaks from the women.
Similar style in the midfield, with your 2 best men in the middle and 2 women on the outsides.
Up front allow the 2 players to have freedom to interchange and move -- one man, one woman of course.

Basically with a slower/older team your attack will mostly come through the middle -- not enough speed or endurance to attack down the wings. So make that your strength. Guys will be in better positions to win the ball and then for passing it up the field.