United States Soccer Federation
National Identification and Developmental Focus
 

By Steve Sampson
U.S. National Team Coach
 

      This document is a national perspective. It is a guideline for you to use in the development and identification of players in your respective areas. In evaluating the evolution of soccer worldwide we are finding that players must be able to confidently play many different positions during a 90 minute game. A defender is no longer just a defender. For the best teams in the world a defender is also a player who comes into the middle and attacking thirds of the field with poise.

     Similarly, midfielders and forwards must be able to interchange freely while immediately assuming the responsibilities of their position on the field. Free flowing interchange of positions, while maintaining both offensive and defensive shape, is the evolution of the game. Free flowing interchange is now done at speed (both physically and tactically) with a high level of technical proficiency. Due to this interchange of positions it is now very difficult to simply state how a team plays tactically. Teams now play with greater numbers in attack and in defense with increased fluidity because players are much more mobile, technically adept, physically fit and tactically disciplined. Soccer in the United States must evolve with the international game.

     We in the coaching community, through our training sessions and educational programs, must incorporate all facets of the game (technique, tactics, physical, psychology) to all positions while clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each player. The skills that are generally taught to our players in the United States are no longer adequate for the modern game. The defender must be more skillful in maintaining possession of the ball, combining when coming forward and finishing techniques. Midfielders need to become more than just instruments to maintain possession. Midfielders must become more goal-dangerous. Forwards must be more skillful in the art of defending, specifically the realization of the benefits of giving chase and immediate pressure. Goalkeepers must be more comfortable with the ball at their feet so that the game can freely flow through them.

      If these changes are not made in the development and identification of our youth, then we will produce players and teams that are predictable, static and boring. Besides the above, I would like to recommend the following areas of improvement (listed in order of priority) if we are to consistently succeed against the best teams in the world:
 

1. Players with greater mobility on and off the ball
   
   Probably the greatest weakness we have in the United States is the overwhelming lack of mobility of our players. Players must constantly be readjusting their positioning as it relates to the ball and the opponent. To "PLAY AND MOVE" is critical. To create space for yourself as well as others is essential. The creation of space (passing opportunities) for others is especially important because it demands unselfish running and a three-dimensional thought process to evaluate the proper spaces to make those runs. A three-dimensional thought means the player's ability to see (visualize) the proper space to run into and simultaneously the effect his run has on the creation of space (or channels) behind him. Great players can see these runs open well before they actually take place. Furthermore, the passer of the ball must be able to see and immediately determine (read) the proper passing option. This aspect of the game must be taught and constantly reinforced in order for us to be internationally competitive. Training sessions must be organized to encourage players to be more mobile with special emphasis put on coaching the player off the ball instead of constantly focusing on the player with the ball. The timing of runs is also an important element that has been generally overlooked. Exercises should put players in constant motion for longer periods. Effort should also be made in training to eliminate standing in lines.
   
   NOTE: Training sessions should last no longer than two hours. One and one half hours are ideal.
    

2. Players who are proficient in finishing
   
   There are very few pure goal scorers in the United States. Target players should be our primary focus. Players of all positions must feel more comfortable in front of the goal with a greater percentage of shots hitting the target. In order for our teams to be successful and in order for our game to be entertaining, this aspect of the game must be emphasized and perfected through repetition in training. All players must be put under pressure such that they can cleanly strike a ball from all positions and angles. Training sessions should incorporate exercises that have targets or goals as the desired product. Playing in spaces (or grids) with no target should be minimized. Always perform exercises in rectangles instead of squares to maximize game-like conditions. The identification of pure goal scorers is equally as important as the development of them. Few players are born with an attitude that says the purpose for playing is to score. Some players will never develop that attitude (despite their technical proficiency). Goal scorers can also be poor trainers for much of their game is creative/improvised.
    

3. The identification and development of players with great technical speed
   
   We often see players who are very comfortable with the ball when they are under no pressure. however, under the slightest bit of pressure they lose possession of the ball. Therefore, we must identify and develop players who have great control of the ball when playing at speed or under extreme pressure of the opponent.
    

4. The identification and development of players with great speed of thought
   
   Players must be constantly put under pressure of time, space and opponent to prepare them for teams that put a lot of pressure on the ball and compact the space in front of the goal. Furthermore, a player with great speed of thought rarely gets caught with the ball; this allows the team to maintain possession through him because he can make good positional and/or technical decisions.
    

5. The identification of players with great physical speed
   
   Physical speed can be improved. However, most of what a player has in this area he is born with. Physical speed development cannot be ignored. The identification of players with this ability will significantly help us in closing the gap with the rest of the world.
    

6. Transition
   
   This is our greatest team weakness. We as a country have improved dramatically in this area but it remains a tactical concern. The INSTANT your team loses possession of the ball every player must react quickly to get pressure to the ball, cover the pressuring player and give balance defensively. Defensive shape, compactness in the width and depth of the team while transitioning from offense to defense is critical in preventing the opponent from penetrating offensively.
   
   Similarly, IMMEDIATE transition from defense to offense is equally important for it creates those half seconds that allow a team to exploit a gap, a sleepy defense or a poor marking assignment. Upon winning the ball the priority is to play the ball away from pressure, ideally forward to an isolated teammate. This is followed by immediate support to keep possession and penetrate the opponent's defense. To learn when to take "mental breathers" is one of the most important aspects in the game. Be alert always and concentrate for 90 minutes. Lapses in concentration are the always the best opportunities for the opposition. To improve transition we must incorporate into our training sessions
   exercises that make use of counterattacking goals. This makes the exercise more match-related and will allow you to coach the response of your players upon loss or gain of possession.
    

7. Understanding defensive schemes
   
   We must expose our players to the various forms of defending: zonal, man-to-man and a combination of the two. From a national perspective, we are not producing enough players who feel comfortable playing in a zone defense. In the modern international game more emphasis is being placed on getting two or three players to pressure the ball which demands an understanding of zonal principles.
    

8. Identifying players with PERSONALITY
   
   Outgoing, energetic, competitive and creative personalities add flavor, humor and flair to training session and matches. Team leaders unite teams and instill cooperation through positive and assertive communication skills both on and off the field. In the make-up of your teams look for different personality types. A young man with an "attitude" at age 16 might be the next leading goal scorer for the National Team. Eric Wynalda almost did not make our Region IV Team! Our game desperately needs such personalities. We'll talk about managing these personalities another time!
    

9. The ability to strike a ball accurately over distance
   
   Changing the point of attack accurately with one touch of the ball can be an invaluable tool in finding players isolated on the opposite side of the field. Additionally, an accurate ball played over distance with pace forces a defense to adjust quicker and work harder to get pressure to the ball. Lastly, an accurate long pass can stretch a defense allowing more space or gaps to exploit. Remember, the current World Champion, Brazil has a command of direct soccer as much as the English but it is always with the purpose of a player on the end of a long pass
    

10. Coaches and players must be students of the game
    
    It is important for our coaches and players to watch high level soccer. All of us can learn from observing the strengths, weaknesses and decisions of others. The best environment to study the game is in the stadium and at practice sessions. There is now more soccer on television than ever before. With Major League Soccer and many of the best leagues in the world on television, there are more opportunities to study the game if attending a game or practice is not possible.
     

11. Identifying players in unaffiliated programs
    
    It is common knowledge that many quality players from different socioeconomic backgrounds are overlooked. It is the responsibility of the coaching community to seek out any potential talent that could help us in achieving our goal of competing and beating the best in the world. The only criteria necessary for consideration are talent, citizenship or the
    potential for citizenship.
    
     

     For all the coaches that have begun the process stated above, I congratulate and thank you. And for those that have not begun this process there is no better time than now. One thing that I have learned over the years is that there are no absolutes in this game. There is not just one way to succeed.

     However, the above recommendations, if enacted today (with the tremendous American competitive spirit) will help us keep pace over time with the best soccer playing nations in the world. Thank you for all the work you do for the players and for your support of the National Teams Program.

  Web Administrator    Ken Gamble