There’s 10 minutes to go and you’re down 1-0…
You’re down 1-0 with approximately 10 minutes to play. What do you do? As a coach, and a player as well, you have to understand a few things about how the game can be won.
Thought of the day: players are getting dumber
I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but soccer players are becoming increasingly unimaginative. Actually, I’ll drop the politically correct act; they’re becoming dumber and dumber. Forget the actual game itself for a second. I am referring to the players themselves who have created a stereotype that many players all around the world have adopted. Let’s go to the biggest soccer stage in the world for an example of this stereotype: Europe. 85% of the players have tattoo’s that cover their entire arm and a hair cut that you’d see on a runway model – it’s a joke. In my opinion, they’re focused on the wrong things in life. Like Tony Robbins says, there are better ways to express yourself than covering your body in paint. I look at the players in my local league and they concern themselves with the same stupidity. It’s not fair to judge, nor is it fair to assume what people are really like…I just couldn’t help but make the observation.
Another Incredible Goal by Roberto Carlos
Check out Roberto Carlos’s goal for Corinthians from a few days ago. He surprises the goalie by taking a quick corner kick. The same principles apply in catching the goalie off his line when you shoot from distance, say from center field. The ball needs to be deadly accurate and hit with power otherwise the goalie will be able to recover. This type of play is never thought up of on the spot. The players who pull this move off study their opponents to see what parts of their game are weak. One of those weaknesses might be they come off their line too often. Read more
Manchester City’s latest signing
In case you don’t know about Manchester City’s latest signing his name is Edin Dzeko. Dzeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays the position of striker. He spent the past three seasons playing in the Bundesliga with VfL Woflsburg where he scored an impressive 66 goals in 111 apperances. Read more
The best soccer player in the world is…
Lionel Messi of FC Barcalona and Argentina has been awarded the 2010 FIFA Ballon D’Or award. This is the second time, and second year in a row, that Messi has won the award. The three nominees for the award were (1) Xavi Hernandez, (2) Andres Iniesta and (3) Lionel Messi. The reason this is such a special year is because all three players play for the same club team: FC Barcalona. What’s even more special is that all three players were brought up in the Barcalona youth system. If you ask me, this is incredible and speaks volumes about Barcalona’s entire program.
Toronto FC take Dutch football approach
Toronto FC of Major League Soccer have hired former Dutch national star Aron Winter as their head coach and technical director. This is a major step in steering the only MLS team in Canada in the right direction. Instead of following the likes of many other MLS clubs where the style of play is kick, chase and fight; Toronto has hired a successful coach who understands the Dutch way of soccer inside out. Not only is having Aron Winter a positive step for Toronto but the players will enjoy a more free flowing attacking game. And the fans will love their team even more. Winter recently discussed more of his plans for the future of the club. Read more
How hard can it be to be a professional soccer player?
While I was getting the oil changed on my car today, a younger man (19 years of age) took care of the duties. I got to talking with him and we slowly maneuvered our way into a conversation about soccer. After a few minutes of getting a feel for each other, the conversation got a little more intimate. He shared with me his goals and what he’s doing to put them into action.
Canadian Star Kara Lang retires from Soccer
Female Canadian soccer sensation Kara Lang is retiring from the game of soccer at the age of twenty-four due to a right knee injury. Persistent knee injuries have hampered Lang’s return to full form and she spent much of the past season as a substitute for the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Canadian national team. Unfortunately, Lang retires at an age where many players just begin to enter the prime of their soccer careers. Nevertheless, we must bring attention to the many incredible feats this young soccer talent has achieved throughout her career. Read more
Controlling the ball out of the air
Controlling the ball when it is rolling to your feet is one thing. Controlling the ball when it comes in mid-to-high ranges is a lot more difficult. The reason it is so difficult is because the ball comes in at different trajectories and speeds. Deciding whether to use your chest, knee or other body part needs to be a split second decision. If you can learn to how to use all of these body parts effectively, no ball will be too difficult to deal with.
Play until you hear the whistle
One of the most frustrating things to see is when players stop playing the game. A player thinks they’ve been fouled so they stop and expect a foul to be called, or defenders think the play is offside so they stop, raise their hand and look at the linesman. This is naive soccer. Never stop playing until you hear a whistle. Read more
Coaches: How to get to complete control of your team
Just like players need to continuously improve, so do coaches. As a coach, why not learn the strategies from the best of the best? And what better person is there to study than Sir Alex Ferguson? One of the areas Ferguson has been a master of is making his players fear him. However, his players never fear him to the point that they are afraid to play their game but his presence alone and the way he runs the team allows him to the get the very best out of each player. Read more