Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): DFC GU13 - Additional systems of Play

4-4-2

As the ball moves up the field and deeper into the opponents half, the back line pushes up to the half. This forces the midfielders forward to support the two attackers. If the ball is on the left, then the left back can move higher to support the play. The right back pushes the two center backs over so we can cover the space better. The right midfield can tuck in to a more central area to support play also. I know I have said to "get big", provide width and depth, but staying so far wide from the ball is basically eliminating a person from being a part of play. Coming into the middle to be an option occupies defenders and gives us greater numbers.

High Pressing

1 thing I haven't seen enough of in the three games so far is defending from the front / the high press. When we lose the ball in the attacking third or if the defending team has possession maybe from a goal kick or throw-in in a favorable position for us, we need to get bodies around the ball. By pressuring the player to make a mistake and by cutting out all options for a pass, we can quickly win the ball back in a critical area of the field, in which we already have numbers up.

In the example, the Red Left Back has the ball. I have given them a lot of credit here, I set them up in an ideal shape to get out of the situation we are pressing them into. We have 3 players pressuring the ball, and a lot of the team are preventing passes by closing off passing lines. The only way out for them here, is to play the ball back to the center back who will kick it away hard. The likelihood is that the ball will get as far as out midfield. We need to deal with that ball in the air so that we can keep the pressure on them and create a good attack.