Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Defending with a lone striker, withdrawn striker, and midfield four (Start Time: 2018-01-26 12:25:00)

Drill 1 (5 mins)

Topic: Defending with a lone striker, withdrawn striker, and midfield 4

Initials Representation: B1= Block 1. B2= Block 2. B3 = Block 3

Drill 1: Formation 7v6

Blues (Attacking team): 1-4-2

Goalkeeper, 2 center back, 2 fullbacks, 1 defending midfielder, 1 striker

Reds (Defending team): 4-1-1

2 wide midfielders, 2 center midfield, 1 withdrawn striker, 1 lone striker

Blues (9v9) would be 4-2-2

(11v11) would be 4-4-2

Reds (9v9) would be 2-4-1-1

(11v11) would be 4-4-1-1

Session Description: Drill 1 (4 mins play)

Red team will be defending from the front using the lone striker (9) as the trigger player to engage, following by the withdrawn striker (10) rotating when necessary. Blue team will try to play out from the back with the intention to break through midfield to complete a pass to their striker who is restricted in the shaded area (only for the first drill).

Three different scenarios will be introduced and demonstrated throughout the whole session.

- First scenario. The goalkeeper passes the ball to the left or right center back which will set the trigger for the lone striker (9) to press and showing the defender outside forcing him to play wide. When that happens, the midfield four should tuck in nice and compact within the direction of the ball, whilst be screening opposition's player positions to prevent any gaps for through balls.

Conditions:

BlueTeam:

-Must always play out from the back starting with the goalkeeper.

-Players must stay inside their Blocked area (B1,B2,B3)

-Fullback must stay inside the channel of B2, and B1

- Center back must stay in B3

Reds

-Specific Players must stay inside their Blocked area (B1,B2,B3) when out of possession

-Midfield 4 must stay inside B2

-Lone striker and Withdrawn striker must stay inside B3

- 8 seconds to score when you win the ball back

- Shadow defense

Pedagogy:

-3 different match realistic scenarios

-Timing & planning

-1 minutes of session introduction

-1 minutes coaching process

-4 minutes play for each drill session (x3)

-15 minutes of Small Sided Game

Screen 3 (5 mins)

Topic: Defending with a lone striker, Withdrawn striker, and midfield 4

Initials Representation: B1= Block 1. B2= Block 2. B3 = Block 3

Drill 3: Formation 7v6

Blues (Attacking team): 4-1-1

Goalkeeper, 2 center back, 2 fullbacks, 1center midfielders, 1 striker

Reds (Defending team): 4-1-1

2 wide midfielders, 2 center midfield, 1 withdrawn striker, 1 lone striker

Blues (9v9) would be 4-2-2

(11v11) would be 4-4-2

Reds (9v9) would be 2-4-1-1

(11v11) would be 4-4-1-1

Session Description: Drill 3

-Third Scenario. As the ball gets played from goalkeeper to left/ right center back, the lone Striker (9) should be making the run to press the ball. When that happens, if the ball gets switched from left/right center back to right/left center back, as the ball travel, that is the trigger for the withdrawn striker (10) to start pressing and the rotation between both strikers will be visible at this point.

Conditions:

Blues:

-Must always play and start out from the back starting with the goalkeeper.

Players can now be active in all Blocked area (except Striker)

-Fullback can now enter any blocked area

-Striker is now active in the B1.

Reds:

-10 seconds to win the ball back

-2 Midfielders must stay inside B2 (when in possession)

-Only 1 midfield players are allowed to join B3 at any time

- Everyone else can enter any Blocked area.

Defensive Principles:

- Pressure on the ball (When, Who, How, Why, What if)

- Position focus

- Communication

- Tracking runners, and Cover when necessary

- Timing

Key Coaching points:

-Lone striker when to press

- Press as Fast as possible to create pressure and force mistakes with the intention

to win the ball back and score

-Angled run

- What if switched play

-Position of midfield 4