Ok, so I think you are saying that it is as simple as 10/11 might be too young to be able to put it all together, even with what is clearly one of the most talented group of players at this age. They were able to put it all together for the first few minutes, but I guess it takes a little more to do it for the entire game against another strong team. I thought Blues Baker teams at the 12/13/14/15 age group have also been very successful the past few years, but I have never seen them play. Do they not play the same, more direct game that the younger Blues teams do? Or are you saying it takes until even longer for the kids to put it all together and create the scoring chances necessary to also win?
Man City Cup
- Thread starter USSoccer23
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chargerfan
GOLD
I'm in no way an expert but have seen teams like that start slow then all of sudden it comes together and they are a different team. I think there's a lot of value in playing out the back, starting with a goalie pass to an open defender and then playing through the midfield. It certainly makes for more skilled individual players. Like I said, I'm not an expert, but I have always relied heavily on the opinions of people who are experts!
Don't US Soccer mandate style of play as part of the US Development Academy on the boys' side? If so, your question should be why do US Soccer do that? Surely when looking to create some of the best players in the country you need to create good habits from an early age?
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Good questions and I'm sure you'll get quite a few opinions, here's my .02.
The Blues team you watched is loaded with good athletes. They are perfect for small field, direct soccer... their coaches play to win, they want trophies and titles. Nothing wrong with this as long as you know that's the goal. This Blues team will be very successful this year.
Too many coaches play fast and loose with the truth on selling 'possession soccer' as their style they will coach. Some will work on it in practice, then game-day comes and the W is more important than the development. For the girls to truly to learn to play possession soccer they need to play it in all situations, the more pressure the better and guess what, 9-12 year olds will have bad touches that lead to errors that lead to goals scored against that lead to losses. Usually it's us parents that can't live with this result as we are the ones that define success as 'winning' first and foremost.
Next, you have the coaches that will always in every situation play for the win.. they know which coaches(very few around) won't compromise their development for W's and these coaches exploit these teams. High-pressure and kickball works at this age with superior athleticism and small fields that don't allow 'off touches'.
If you truly want your kids to learn how to play possession soccer, go watch the teams that build from the back, that don't allow their gk's to boot from box-2-box on the small fields(cause they can, duh) that insist their team play thru the mid-field and pass with a purpose. For the parents, it takes patience and support because your DD's will lose games they shouldn't but in the long run your daughters will learn how to play the right way.
A possession based team at this age can come unhinged when playing against a faster team. My daughter's team can look amazing when playing slower teams. When a team shows up with some really fast girls, the smallest imperfection is multiplied.
If you receive a bad pass with a good touch against a slow team - Your touch can save you. A sloppy pass with a good touch will not work out so well against a team that is all over you with their speed.
Same thing with a perfect pass and a sloppy touch. You just don't have the time to think/react when a fast player is closing you down.
As you move up the "flights", the speed of play is the biggest difference. And it's not just "these girls sprint faster than our girls." A better touch gives you that extra split second to make the right decision to make the next move.
Possession teams turn into kick-it-away teams when they are panicking. I haven't seen this Surf team play, but I'm willing to bet as they start to play more games against faster teams, that what you witnessed this past weekend won't happen again.
If you receive a bad pass with a good touch against a slow team - Your touch can save you. A sloppy pass with a good touch will not work out so well against a team that is all over you with their speed.
Same thing with a perfect pass and a sloppy touch. You just don't have the time to think/react when a fast player is closing you down.
As you move up the "flights", the speed of play is the biggest difference. And it's not just "these girls sprint faster than our girls." A better touch gives you that extra split second to make the right decision to make the next move.
Possession teams turn into kick-it-away teams when they are panicking. I haven't seen this Surf team play, but I'm willing to bet as they start to play more games against faster teams, that what you witnessed this past weekend won't happen again.
BeepBeep Boop
SILVER ELITE
This is the hardest part for parents like me who are going through the club circuit the first time around. I look forward to being able to lecture 2009 and 2010 parents about how wins don't matter LOL.
One thing I noted is that this Blues team will actually play out of the back sometimes. I saw them pass the ball from defender to another defender, or back to their goalie with her passing to an outside defender, especially when one of their center defenders would win possession. However, from there it tended to revert to playing the ball directly from the fullbacks to the forwards instead of through their center mid. They also have their goalie typically punt the ball and kick it from goalkicks instead of passing it out, but I have to say that most of the teams I saw this weekend did that too. Surf, at least initially, seemed to do a much better job of holding possession through their fullbacks to their midfield, and then to the top, but I think their goalie punted it most times and I don't recall many of their goalkicks being passes to one of their defenders after the first 10 minutes. This was the only game I saw Surf play, so maybe as one poster noted, there was more possession and building from the goalie/goalkicks against slower teams? I guess part of what I am saying is I can see the future benefit of trying to teach and play more possession at the younger ages, and my guess is that very few people argue that point (right?). However, I certainly don't see this team as a "kickball" team when compared to the other teams at this age group this weekend. They have some very skilled players with excellent touch who aren't just good athletes. Are people just saying that, with the athletes and skill this Blues team has, the coaches SHOULD make more of an effort to play more possession style soccer all the way from the back to the front? Is there no argument that playing some possession soccer when it is available, but also playing the ball through when you aren't able to hold possession against teams with superior speed (and breaking the other teams possession through your own speed), might be an acceptable way to play and also develop at this age? If, like the Admin above posted, the Blues are the premier club on the west coast, how are they able to build such a program when everyone seems to be saying they don't develop the younger players the right way? I think I need to watch some older games to fully understand it. Do the older teams not have their goalie punt the ball most of the time or kick the ball on a goalkick? With so much to learn, maybe I should just go back to baseball and softball.
I get it but did they play out of the back when they had time to play out of the back or did they do it with F's/MF's charging at them? There is a difference, again, if you want your DD's to learn to play possession. If every time there is significant pressure your 'allowed' to boot it then you aren't really learning to play possession. Collecting the ball under pressure w/ your head up and deciding where to go with the ball is playing... Panic leading to booting isn't. Your question on playing against "superior speed" is answered by this quote: "Timing beats speed and precision beats power"
The admin is due his opinion which I completely disagree with.. There is no continuity from Rennie-Draluck-Bobak-Bakers-Dodge in playing styles, sorry. They do get my vote for being the best recruiting club in SoCal and are a very successful club. My vote for top to bottom quality play is Surf(never had a kid play there for the record)... not perfect but overall they do their best at all ages and levels to play good soccer. As you travel more with the olders, you see De Anza play consistently good/successful soccer too.
Good point. They did it when they had time to do it. However, aside from the goalie punts and goalkicks, I think most of the balls they played through to the forwards were also with purpose (longer balls for sure as they bypassed the midfielders, but it wasn't just blindly booting it).
Great posts.
You want to see great possession soccer, in my opinion Albion and Galaxy are the best at developing possession style soccer.
trojanlove
BRONZE
Saw the final. Great play on both sides and both sides deserve kudos.
3SoccerLadies
SILVER ELITE
There is such a dramatic difference in speed and size in one year. Take some time and watch an 07, 08 and 09 game. The 06s are the first team that are playing on the small field for this long. If we were playing all games along the lines of US Soccer guidelines, we wouldnt have punts and would have a play out line. Its even worse for the Legends and Cerritos tournament where our 06 girls are playing on the same size field as the 09s! Last year, I believe, we played on a larger field. So, yes, as so many have stated some girls resort to clearing the ball out because of the pressure. Some of the teams we are discussing certainly have speed and size and they play a very physical style of play. Nothing wrong with it, but on these small fields, it is definitely showing through!
Case in point, the Legends-Galaxy final at Cerritos was physical and fast. Every girl was working hard to get to 'first to the ball.' I even saw my beloved Galaxy punt the ball and clear it a number of times. I dont think it was about winning but about adjusting to the style of play that the conditions dictated. However, on the opposite end, the Galaxy-West Coast game was one where both teams played the ball out of the back and worked the ball into open space. The ball was on the ground quite a bit and both teams played possession well.
This is going to be a fun year for the 06s and we are going to see some awesome battles and contrasting styles. The one thing that is most bothersome in these first tournaments, however, is that their appears to be little consistency in the way the games are being called. It is important to realize that this is the first year that we will see girls this old playing on such a small field. And, yes it is true, some teams teach their girls to play body first and not the ball. I am concerned, my daughter is definitely on the smaller side and plays hard, for player safety. I think this is something the refs should be aware of for this particular age group.
Case in point, the Legends-Galaxy final at Cerritos was physical and fast. Every girl was working hard to get to 'first to the ball.' I even saw my beloved Galaxy punt the ball and clear it a number of times. I dont think it was about winning but about adjusting to the style of play that the conditions dictated. However, on the opposite end, the Galaxy-West Coast game was one where both teams played the ball out of the back and worked the ball into open space. The ball was on the ground quite a bit and both teams played possession well.
This is going to be a fun year for the 06s and we are going to see some awesome battles and contrasting styles. The one thing that is most bothersome in these first tournaments, however, is that their appears to be little consistency in the way the games are being called. It is important to realize that this is the first year that we will see girls this old playing on such a small field. And, yes it is true, some teams teach their girls to play body first and not the ball. I am concerned, my daughter is definitely on the smaller side and plays hard, for player safety. I think this is something the refs should be aware of for this particular age group.
Can't leave Eagles out of this conversation. A good team that constantly put us under pressure in the semi's. He scoreline didn't do those girls justice. A well coached team that will make noise through the summer.
Blues was and is the team to beat right now. He play the long ball to pin you in and put your defense under pressure. They are physical, athletic and have talented girls. I, in no way want to take that away from them.
Blues was and is the team to beat right now. He play the long ball to pin you in and put your defense under pressure. They are physical, athletic and have talented girls. I, in no way want to take that away from them.
I like Eagles!
Blues fan you left out the part when the ref had to stop the game to tell the adults on your sideline to stop talking to the girls on the field...classy. Nothing like hearing adults attempt to taunt 11 year olds. I hear that's your rep. Both teams played great. The game got really physical, but the referee did a great job keeping the game and the crying Blues parents under control. It was a great weekend of soccer congrats Blues and Beach on the hard fought game.
Changed 2013 ish.....
How can you possibly say that when Anaheim Surf just went undefeated in the Newport-Mesa Cup last weekend?
OCsoccerMANiac
SILVER
Have you ever watched this team warm up before a game? if not pay attention next time you play or see them and you will see what I mean.... just saying classic Holly/Rennie
futboldad1
PREMIER
Can you please give a little more info on this? genuinely curious now.