1v1 unfairly maligned. We need superstars

Discussion in 'Coach' started by NewDadaCoach, Oct 16, 2020.

  1. Rebaño_Sagrado

    Rebaño_Sagrado Member+

    May 21, 2006
    Home
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    I remember a documentary where Xavi Hernandez is interviewed and he mentions being the smallest guy even in street pickup games. He said he preferred to stay in the back behind the action. Wait for the ball to come to him and then make a good pass.

    Maybe, beyond the perfect training philosophy, the passion and obsession for the game matters most?
     
    elessar78 repped this.
  2. Kim Melnik

    Kim Melnik New Member

    None
    Denmark
    Mar 3, 2021
    Making 1v1’s more effective and so popular

    Well over 100 years ago, passing was unheard of as dribbling dominated play. Gradually, passing took over as a more efficient method of scoring, so much so that in today’s culture, players are often discouraged from dribbling in a 1v1 confrontation. These traditional approaches are often reinforced by individual coaches desire to win. Whilst stray passes are soon forgiven, a dispossessed dribbler is demonised as ‘selfish’, yet both equally risk conceding a goal. After repeated deterrence, the ‘budding dribbler’ learns to play ‘safe’. Effective dribblers like Ronaldo and Messi have been allowed to express themselves and flourish. Would they have achieved as much had they grown up in different cultures?

    Sadly, dribbling benefits are often outweighed by their risks. When one defender is beaten, another covers, as others adjust their position to maintain shape. Whereas when a dribbler is dispossessed, their team are defensively unbalanced. The risk of dispossession is heightened when dribbling towards an opponent (a common interpretation of 1v1). The defender can control the situation as they’re balanced, have supporting defenders and can guide the dribbler one way to predict play.

    This is more challenging as the defender’s body is between the dribbler and the ball’s destination. From a standing start, the defender can block their path whilst running for the ball. From a running start, a defender can jockey to nullify speed and still block the defender’s path. The defender can buy time by directing the dribbler towards another defender. Even the best dribblers struggle with a balanced defender who doesn’t commit.

    A solution is to enhance reward and limit risk. The ball carrier can instead dictate play by dribbling away from the defender into space, forcing the defender away from their base position. They become less balanced and vulnerable to a surprise change of direction. Resultantly, other defenders positional adjustments leave gaps for runners and the dribbler to move into. Another defender may then take over to press the dribbler, creating space for runners behind both defenders. Dribbling into space also creates space for the pass, so can be relabelled as ‘unselfish’.

    Alternatively, dribbling at the defender, gives the defender time to balance and dictate play. They only have the time it takes for the defender to challenge to make a decision. This time pressure leads to mistakes, especially if the other defenders combine to cover their options.

    Risk is dramatically reduced by dribbling into space as they’re moving away from the defender, so can pass or change direction when beneficial. This reduces pressure, allowing them to raise their head to pass and allows team mates a larger window to time their runs. Defenders must then keep readjusting their shape to cover the gaps created by the changing angle of play. Risk is reduced further as they have time for a simple pass if threatened.

    This keeps the picture changing, is more likely to off balance the defence and less likely to lose possession. Dribbling practices with alternative options help with dribbling into space and simulates team mates’ movements to help them off balance their defender.

    To encourage players to dribble to create space, rather than directly at a defender, try the game: ‘Dribbling for Space’. To transfer this principle into a higher intensity game, try ‘2v2 Continuous’. See both games at https://www.engagingsoccer.co.uk/free-games.
     
  3. elessar78

    elessar78 Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 12, 2010
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    A loong time ago, I wrote that probably our first job as coaches is to help players fall in love with the game. Otherwise they'll never practice on their own which is truly the lever that can make them great players.
     
    Rebaño_Sagrado and rca2 repped this.
  4. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    @Kim Melnik You are trying to say too many things at the same time and your message is lost as a result. Right now I don't understand your post, and don't know if it is because of language differences, different views of a coach's role or different views of how the game should be played. My suggestion--simplify your message.
     
    Kim Melnik repped this.
  5. Kim Melnik

    Kim Melnik New Member

    None
    Denmark
    Mar 3, 2021
    Thank you @rca2 for your feedback. I will shorten my posts in future and try to simplify my message. For clarity, my message is that dribbling 1v1 can be more effective and less risky when directed away from the defender, rather than committing to beating them. This can also reduce criticism of dribbling from spectators.
     
  6. Coach Hammond

    Coach Hammond New Member

    Manchester City
    United States
    Aug 26, 2018
    South Carolina
    I'm obviously late to this thread, but I thought this was very interesting. I would never be so dismissive as to call a player's attempt to dribble "garbage" but I certainly discouraged it at times. While I do think it is important to teach players that there are "right" and "wrong" times to take people on, I think I will change my approach going forward.

    I coach high school boys, and my own perspective has evolved in this area. We don't have a lot of talent at my school, as club soccer is basically non-existent in our county. The soccer program has never had a winning reason, and I couldn't help but notice when I joined as an assistant about 5 years ago how disorganized they were. So when I took over as head coach a few years back, we focused heavily on team play and tactics, in stark contrast to the frenetic long ball game that had been played prior. I would definitely say it worked, as we've improved dramatically in every phase of the game.

    That being said, our lack of 1v1 ability is definitely keeping us from reaching that "next level". We've had games where we were obviously the better team and probably had 75+% of possession, but couldn't break down opponents in the final third and ended up losing 1-0 or 2-1 after getting beaten on a counter. We've also had games where we played toe-to-toe against better teams, but got completely stonewalled in the final third. It's frustrating to see the kids recognize an opportunity to drop and play a long diagonal switch to the opposite wing, only to lose the ball when the wing can't win a 1v1 battle.

    I know it's not as easy to turn soccer newbies into little Neymars, but I at least want them to have the CONFIDENCE to take someone on when the time is right, as well as the knowledge that it's okay and their teammates will have their back if they lose the ball.
     
    NewDadaCoach repped this.
  7. stphnsn

    stphnsn Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    It's super frustrating as a coach because you can't make them work on these skills. If a player wants to develop the skills, and by extension the confidence to use them in a 1v1 situation, they have to decide to do it and put in the work to get better. Even if you're allocating time to it at training, you can't force the players to do it the right way. I just had this discussion with my 19U boys yesterday.
     
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  8. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    Do you give them "homework" and ask them to work on certain skills on their own time?
     
  9. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    I would start with just one move, something simple like a feint one way, go the other and hit a shot.
    Passing is also a great way to score in the final 1/3rd. Crosses, through balls. Practice those as well. Practice the receiver taking doing one or two touches and shooting when they are say anywhere from 10-20 yards out.
    Have them receive it on their forward foot (closest to opponent goal), nice first touch into space and get a good strike.
     
  10. stphnsn

    stphnsn Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    At a certain point, players become responsible for developing their own skills, and a coach's instruction and homework assignments become irrelevant. My 4U daughter needs me to introduce skills to her and teach her how to do them because she isn't capable of recognizing her deficiencies. My 15U+ boys should be beyond that. They should recognize that they need to practice their ball striking or dribbling or whatever it is if they want to be successful players. They know what they need to work on.

    To directly answer your question, yes, I made up a 10 week skillbuilding curriculum for my HS boys to work on footwork and moves from New Years until our season started in mid-March. Was that worth the effort on my part? Probably not. Should I have to do that for high school boys who say they want to play college soccer? Definitely not.
     
    Morchoi repped this.

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