Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): SSG : Defend 1-0 lead

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Small sided game - Scenario - 1-0 up with 10 minutes to go - tactics to defend the lead. 

Reds - attacking team (1-0 down) - Set up in a 2-3-3 formation (replicate of 4-3-3 formation with two full backs taken out).

Blue team - defending team (1-0 up) - Set up in 4-2-1-1 formation (replicate of 4-4-1-1 formation with two wingers taken out).

Blue team coached to sit deep and soak up the pressure - hit on the counter attack when they win back the ball. Red team to try to break blue team down and score by playing through, around or over opposition. Blue team are to try to reduce the space in between the lines. Assistant coach to act as linesman to call offsides - to maintain realism. A condition will be placed on the blue team that they must score within 10 seconds after winning back the ball. This will mean that they will have to break quickly on the counter attack to try to score. It will also mean that they will be defending more than they are attacking. 

Coaching points: blue team (team out of possession) - stay compact and narrow, show outside / away from goal, stop split passes, leave furthest man.

Red team - maintain width and depth, move the ball quickly to find the spare player, play through, around and over.