Goalden
About 8 years ago, my soccer team traveled to Europe for a soccer tournament. We had an abundance of players that were aspiring to make an impression on the local European scouts.
Part of our experience, while in Amsterdam, Holland, included a 3 hour training session with one of the most respected Dutch coaches in the area. As we approached the training facility, we were blown away.
:: WHAT DOES SOCCER SCOUT LOOK FOR ::
A scout (in any sport) grade the players in a general category and in a position specific category, evaluating 4 pillars needed: technical qualities, tactical qualities, physical abilities and psychological qualities.
For soccer some aspects included in the evaluation are:
Natural Ability: Speed/Stamina, Reaction/Ability, and Strength/Coordination
Fitness: strength, speed, endurance, agility, quickness, coordination and balance
“Every disadvantage had got its advantage.”
– Johan Cruyff, legendary Dutch player
Ten Players. You have ten teammates (plus a goalkeeper). With those ten people, you can have countless formations when placing players in the attacking third, middle third, and defensive third. So many, in fact, that to list them all and each of their benefits and weaknesses would become an anthology onto itself. Some are obviously poor choices reserved for unbridled children playing in an impromtu game like sending all ten players to the forward to attack the goal (note: never happens), or on the flip side, keeping all ten players in the backfield (also, never happens). This article will stick with the more common formations you’ll run into on a game-by-game basis.
Many wingers think their sole responsibility is to run up and down the field, take throw-ins, corner kicks and be fast. However, there is more to being a midfield winger than this. Depending on the formation your team plays you will have different duties.
4-4-2: in this formation the wingers’ main offensive responsibility is to provide through-balls to the forwards, cross the ball into the 18 yard box when in the attacking third of the field, attack defenders with the ball and a lot of runs off the ball to receive passes from your teammates, specifically center midfielders.