Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Breaking lines in possession

Screen 2

Play 1:

GK has to identify that the opposition strikers start their pressing from a narrow position. The first pass goes to one of the wide defenders, this will attract the opposition's pressing on the ball side with the closest striker pressing the wide defender in possession by showing outside and preventing the pass forward to the next zone, the other striker is close to the central defender. The second pass will ideally be made to the GK who is now waiting outside the goal and stops the ball with an open body shape to switch to the opposite wide defender. GK has to be fast in control (2 touches max) to be less predictive and make a pass to the opposite defender who receives the ball on the run. IF the striker in the central position is too fast to shuffle across for the third pass the GK can play a through pass to CD. Once the ball is in the second zone, the remaining defenders position themselves in relation to the poles placed next to the opposition goal.

In the second zone, the wide defender travels toward the center with the midfielder on the ball side to make a run outside. Now the opposition midfielder has to decide if pressing the player with the ball or follow the midfielder that runs outside. The central midfielder goes wide with the opposition midfielder to follow. Once the central midfielder moves this creates a gap in the middle. The midfielder on the opposite side runs inside for option 2. 

Screen 4

Play 3

Coach Red team to play into central defender and draw in Bluestriker. 

The central defender must time the pass to either outsidedefender, with this pass the DM will take up the space that theBlue striker left and receive the ball playing a bounce passback to the Red defender who should've stepped in. 

The nearside Red midfielder should now block their opposingplayer allowing the opposite Red midfielder to come inside anduse the space created by the DMs movement in order toreceive the ball and play a pass to the strikers who can thenlink up to create a goal scoring opportunity. 

Coaching Tips 

Observe Red teams outside midfielder to make sure they arecoming inside taking up the correct areas of space centrally in order to break the line into the final third

Screen 6

SSG 

Replace mannequins with 3 Blue defenders. 

Conditions 

Blue team must be behind red cones before keeper plays the balloutBlue Team have 10 seconds to score if they gain possession. 

Challenges 

Can Red Team Play 1 or 2 touch? 

Can Red Midfielders lose their markers and get into the attackingthird to create a 3v3 or 4v3 in the final third. 

Manage Blue team to press in various ways or not at all in order tocause different issues for the red team.