Maybe not the individuals … or maybe so (think of all the shit that’s said about Busquets). But moreso, it’s what they represent. They have been exposing all of American soccer shortcomings and fallacies in a way that’s unprecedented. What they’ve been doing has gone against what the American rhetoric has been for decades. They […]
Archives for June 2012
Recognize Speed of Play Issues [Video]
… and work on them. These are our U11s during a friendly over a month ago – versus San Diego Surf. Be Careful The interpretation of speed of play in general can be dangerous. We have to be careful here. One of the biggest problems with US Soccer at all levels is that we have […]
The Amazing Irony of the ‘Culture Problem’
There’s lots of American soccer: media outlets coaches fans / supporters organizations … In general, there’s a huge American soccer community. And all its constituents cite that the game in this country suffers from a culture problem. The irony is not only are they participants in the culture problem, but they actually work hard to […]
What Are You Talking About?
Lack of definitions is a huge problem! In the context of soccer, when one says: “Culture” “Creativity” “Possession” “Attacking Style” “Development” “World Class” “Great Coach” “Great Player” etc .. Those things can all mean wildly different things, unless you have a proper reference. And that reference must be based on the best – the gold […]
The 50/50 Rule of Coaching: Looking Beyond the Win/Loss Columns
First 50 The right activities and the efficiency of your training sessions only get you to 50%. By the “right activities / exercises” I mean right with respect to your philosophy of course. For instance, what’s the point of doing activities that work possession out of the back, if all you do in games is […]
You Know What They Say About Arguing With Idiots …
… they drag you down to their level, and then beat you with experience. But still, it’s an exercise in willpower to stay away. It’s hard to let ignorance, be ignorance. Sometimes you say to yourself: maybe if I just spoke their language they might understand something You start rationalizing: If I don’t say anything, […]
Barcelona-USA U11s Fall to Weston FC in Danone Nations Cup Final
Orlando, FL – Following the overtime, pk’s, post game celebrations, and the long journey out of the complex we reached our hotel at 10:30 am. The boys had one hour to rest. Instructions were crystal clear. Rest your bodies with legs elevated, hydrate with plenty of gatorade, and eat fruit and power bars to refuel […]
Danone Nations Cup Semifinal Match. [Coach Notes]
Orlando, FL – The final day of competition has arrived and no alarm clock was needed to wake up at 6am. 16 teams arrived at ESPN Wide World of Sports with the intent to win their pool play to advance to the semifinals. Only 4 remain in contention for the Danone Cup. Barcelona USA, Coral […]