Soccer Analysis

Options: You can use either one or two holding midfielders. In order to be self assured you may try both options. Organisation: Start with 3 defenders and the holding midfielder(s) defending against 4 mids and two forwards (Assuming your opponents play 4-4-2). You can set up many different starting positions including an attack starting from the center circle, from the left wing, right wing, etc. Later, you can put two or three small goals on the mid line. If your defending team can manage to clear the ball through the goals they get a point, if they dribble through it they can get 3 points. Adjust the numbers and starting positions based on the success rate you see. This is also a great chance to involve the keeper as they usually tend to play as a sweeper-keeper in a 3-5-2.

Courtesy: Gary Rue When the ball is on the outside edge of the penalty area, the GK should be positioned on an imaginary line drawn from the near post to a point 3-4 yards straight out from the middle of the goal. The GK should be at about arms length away from the near post (I personally don't recommend much closer, unless the GK has trouble with near post collections from this distance. Shoulder against the post is too close.) The GK's feet (and hips) should open to the field not directly facing the ball. That is, the feet should be on the imaginary line. The reason for this is three fold: 1) vision for what is behind; 2) ability to move and react quickly towards the center of the goal; and 3) the body is in a more straight-on position to go collect the cross. GKs have great trouble assessing low balls from the flank. First of all, the ball path is difficult to judge as the flight is oblique to the goal line. The GK does not have as good a point of reference to the goal as wh...