U.S. Players Must Become Students of the Game to Continue Success at the
International Level
By Tony DiCicco
U.S. Women's National Team Coach
Recently, I received a copy of Steve Sampson's position paper concerning player development. It was excellent and prompted me to write a version pertaining to female players. Hopefully, the following will offer direction and help provide accurate information about what is happening at the National Team level.
Systems of Play
The U.S. Women's National Team has evolved so that we can play more than one system depending on the opponent, score, conditions, etc. In our 1-0 victory over China in U.S. Women's Cup '96, we played three different systems. We started with a 3-5-2, went to a 3-4-3 and finished the game in a 4-4-2.
It is vital that our players understand and feel comfortable playing within different systems. However, it is also important to establish the best system for your team. I don't believe that I nor anyone should mandate what system your team should play. Our players should, however, be comfortable in more than one system.
Defensive Restraining Lines
In that same game against China, we employed three different restraining lines. One was designed to put high pressure on the opponent all over the field. Another invited possession in the back so that we could trap and double team. A third, a lower restraining line, allowed us to condense midfield space while still providing trapping and double team options. All of these defenses are pressure defenses, the only difference being where we apply the pressure.
Our players should be able to, with an understanding and purpose, play from different restraining lines without losing intensity or effectiveness.
Defensive Considerations
Condensing defenses both vertically (from the back) or horizontally (across the field) have become prevalent in the women's international game. Our girls and women need to understand how to condense the game without exposing their goal. Currently, in almost every instance the American female game is elongated allowing for more space in midfield for creative, attacking
players. The ultimate defensive problem is that it allows opposition penetration.
Individual defending is an area of concern. Players need to know how to defend 1v1, how to funnel, when to tackle, how to absorb someone coming at speed, to focus on the ball, to lower their center of gravity and keep their feet moving. Team defending and the concepts of pressure (first defender), cover (2nd defender) and balance (3rd defender) are also not natural to our National Team and we have spent many sessions on small group defending.
There are exceptions, but tackling is a lost art and needs to be coached. A tackling mentality needs to be ingrained in our players. One of Steve Sampson's key points was that in the ''free-flowing interchange of position'' players need to be comfortable playing defense in each third of
the field. If an outside back overlaps and the flank midfielder becomes the back player, she must understand defending in the back third without sacrificing shape. I can share with you that there were some Olympic hopefuls who did not make the later roster cuts due of their inability to play in the different thirds of the field.
Double-teaming is one of the U.S. Women's best defensive weapons. When a defender goes to close, another defender joins whenever possible to create a double-team environment. The first defender must contain the ball-handler and the second player, without delay, must attack the ball with the intent to possess it, but minimally to strip it, creating trapping pockets in which deeper lying players can anticipate passes, close and gain possession, or force mistakes by opponents. These trapping pockets can be created by forcing the ball wide or by forcing the ball central.
One of the shortages with American female players is the defensive midfielder-quarterback player. This is the player who maintains defensive shape in midfield, but is also the quarterback offensively. An area of concern as I watch our teams play all over the country is how often we lose defensive shape in our midfield.
Offensive Considerations
Possession is a shortcoming in American female soccer. Because everyone's style is the same, there is no real need to possess the ball. Internationally, however, if you give the ball away too easily, you end up chasing it for a while.
This was evident in the 1995 World Cup when China came back to tie us 3-3. If you study the game, the passing sequence went something like this: USA 2 passes, China 8 passes. Through the course of the game, the toll of chasing quick, skillful players wore us down. In the U.S. Women's Cup '96 against China, our ability to possess the ball was the difference in the game.
This ties into that quarterback personality in midfield who can make excellent decisions about whether to try to get behind the defense with the ball, or to play for possession until an opportunity presents itself. This balance is an area that the American female player needs to improve on.
There are three types of possession:
- To relieve pressure and secure the ball for the team;
- To prepare the attack by probing; and
- With speed of play (quick ball and player movement) to tear apart
defenses. Our players need to understand and be proficient in all three.
Along these lines, we have to coach the final pass. By the final pass I mean the ball that gets a player behind the defense or puts a personality player in a 1v1 situation. With the National Team we are improving the final pass via two concepts:
- User-friendly balls. This means balls played to bend into their
teammate rather than favor the defense. Too often we have the defense
beat, but the final pass is not good enough to take advantage of the
situation.
- "On - Not On" syndrome. When we make the final pass, often we lack deception. We look at the runner, we see the run and we then make the pass. Often we telegraph the pass to the defense and the chances of success are diminished. In addition, just because a player makes a well- timed and hard run doesn't mean that she is "on" for the pass. The passer needs to evaluate whether it is on or not. If it is on, by all means, make the pass. If it is not on, then use that run to draw defenders and make a better choice.
Along the lines of possession is the old saying,
"sometimes, you have to play East-West to go North-South." In other words,
changing the point of attack allows personality players more space and time
and also allows, with positive speed of play, the chance to create
numbers-up situations.
With the National Team, I call this concept "Tunnel
Vision." Often we start to attack one flank and we never consider the other
side of the field. Without question, if it is on to go down the flank, do
it. Also consider that as we penetrate even a little, we draw the defenders
to that side of
the field. If we can efficiently get the ball to the other side of the
field, the ball will arrive before the defense can set and we allow
personality players the opportunity to run at a defender instead of having
defenders closing them as they receive the ball.
Going along with changing the point of attack is our
forward taking on a defender 1v1. This is one of the elements of our game
that sets us apart from the rest of the world. I want our players in the
final third to take on a defender 1v1. If that defender is good and prevents
penetration then look for a combination option to still get behind her. Make
no mistake about it, take her on 1v1, because if you beat her you have
broken down the cohesiveness of the defense.
A concept I have introduced with our central
midfielders is stepping out of the game. What I mean by that is if I am a
central midfielder and make a pass, I may need to support it by taking
myself away from the flow. By stepping out of the game, I allow my teammate
with the ball a safe option if nothing else is on. By stepping out, I open
up the game for myself if I receive a return pass. Now the other side of the
field is available because I moved against the flow. If my defender remains
with me, her teammate defending the ball is left without cover.
More technically sophisticated flank service and
accuracy of service are additional areas where American females need to
improve. Observe that in any high level men's game when a ball is flighted
into the penalty area it is not just sent in a direction. It has attitude.
It is a bending, driven ball that is a keeper's and defender's nightmare. We
need to coach that type of service as well as more tactical sophistication
with our runs and box organization.
First, we need a balance of balls sent to the back post
as well as the front post. Second, too often balls are randomly played.
Coach attacking players how to set up a defender to get free in the penalty
area.
We have spent a lot of time coaching our National Team
on unbalancing runs. These are runs that destroy the balance of the defense
and require an immediate decision by the defender. If the defender stays
with the defensive shape, this unbalancing bent run will allow a player to
get in. If the defender honors and stays with the run, space is made for
teammates to exploit. The timing and shape (bent) of these runs also allows
the server more margin of error with her pass because the landing space for
the pass has been enlarged. When our frontrunners are mobile, we are very
difficult to defend because the defensive decisions have to be immediate.
Any hesitation or a wrong decision exposes the defense.
Physical - Athletic Considerations
We have a distinct advantage due to the
number of players and outstanding female athletes playing soccer in America.
It is paramount that we continue to identify and work with the most gifted
athletes. To further identify gifted I would consider in this order: speed,
quickness, power. Size is not important in itself, but coupled with one of
the above dimensions it creates an awesome combination.
Try to identify players who have at least one
incredible quality. It may be their heading ability. It may be their speed.
It may be their leadership. It may be their skillful touches with the ball.
It may be their tenacity. If we can find players with more than one of these
qualities we truly have someone special.
Psychological Considerations
Americans are naturally attack oriented,
aggressive, competitive athletes. We need to nurture these attributes as
well as their combativeness. When I think of the current National Team, I
think of three players whom I consider hard. One of those is 5-10 and weighs
150 pounds. The other two are under 5-3 and neither weigh more than 110
pounds. Hardness is not necessarily a by-product of size. Measure the size
of their heart rather than their physical stature.
Because of our current system, a player's success is
dependent upon her ability to impact her environment. This means, simply,
players' ability to self train. Even if a player plays on a top club team
and is well coached, to make it at the National Team level she has to go
beyond the coach-driven environment and self train. This includes layering
their fitness as well as their technical ability and tactical knowledge.
Some of the National Team players have been slow
to grow tactically and the biggest reason is they are not students of the
game. They need to watch more high-level soccer such as MLS and Men's
National Team games in person, as well as European, South American and
Mexican league games on TV. Encourage your teammates to see and seek out the
highest level available to them. This is a problem that I believe is bigger
on the female side of the game.
Players by Position Considerations
Goalkeepers:
Our goalkeeping is generally better
than average when compared to the rest of the world. Our keepers are more
athletic and have a wonderful attitude towards training and hard work.
Our goalkeepers' one glaring deficiency is their
ability to play with their feet. They must be able to possess the ball, to
take their own goal kicks, and to have long and effective foot clearances.
Our keepers also have to understand and be part of team
defensive tactics. Finally, there is a sophistication of keeper play above
our standard and I attribute this to seeing high level games on a continual
basis.
Defenders:
The era of defenders just being destructive players is
quickly coming to a close. Defenders must have that quality, but must also
be able to be comfortable and even creative with the ball. They are the
players who are most capable of holding possession and probing the defense
for an
opening to attack through. Their speed must be among the best on the team
and in our system (because of an attacking nature) they must be excellent
individual defenders able to defend without a cover at times.
Midfielders:
The era of slow but technically gifted midfielders is
also changing. Midfielders must be gifted technically and although may not
possess outstanding speed, have to be able to cruise nonstop with great
stamina. They must be able to quarterback the attack and be very comfortable
in front of the goal. Although there may not be a perfect balance between
their offense and defense, neither can be a deficiency. The weak side of
their game must be elevated.
Strikers:
Without question, the most important ability of a
frontrunner is the ability to finish quality chances. They must also serve
as target players able to hold the ball and create rhythm and speed of play.
They need to develop a sophistication so that a bushel full of chances is
not required before a goal is scored. It is amazing to me how few chances
and how few players a European team sends into the penalty area and how
consistent they are at finishing. Strikers must be able to defend and
diminish the effectiveness of opponents playing in their third of the field.
Frontrunners are key people in our trapping and double teaming defensive
organizations.
As mentioned earlier a key ingredient for each
striker's game is their mobility. They have to have the ability to get
behind defenses and the tactical understanding of when to serve as a target
player.
Currently, we have wonderful strikers in the American
female game. We, as coaches, must not only cultivate these players, but
protect them by allowing them to improvise, to be creative and to use their
own instincts.
The Team:
In addition to all the above considerations, where do
American female players need to improve?
Technically: Long ball service, heading, first touch, direct free
kicks, penalty kicks.
I am a firm believer in the best way to take a free
kick is to have an expert hit it into the goal. Easier said than done, but
the less moving parts the better. We have players now who regularly train on
hitting free kicks over a wall or swerving balls from long range.
Tactically: Playing against a bunker, playing against an offside
trap, using an offside trap, transition (offensively and defensively),
recycling the ball, restricting space from behind defensively, and movement
off the ball.
By recycling the ball I mean when we have a lead,
possess the ball. Go forward but be conservative. If it is on to go to goal,
absolutely try to score. When it is not on it is better to spin out and look
for a deeper player and possess the ball, even in the offensive third. This
takes time
off the clock but most importantly, it takes the heart out of the chase of
your opponent. Still try to score, but make sure they have to chase the ball
to even get a close look at it.
Our Women's National Team is among the elite in the
world. It is because of you and how you developed our players. I hope we
never lose sight of that. I, as National Team coach, am the beneficiary of
your long and effective coaching. Thank you. Please pass this information on
to whom will benefit from it most.
Web Administrator Ken Gamble