Football/Soccer Session (Moderate): Crossing and Finishing

Functional Practice

SET UP: 

Full Width - 30m from goal

16 Players

• Diamond 10x10m occupied by 4 players, 2 players out wide
• each position rotates after each play
• Keepers switch after each play 
• The deepest point of the 3 midfielders passes the ball into into ST. ST plays it into RCM who plays it across to LCM. LCM plays it out to Wide Player, where they will deliver a cross looking for the 3 runners that were involved in the pattern (excluding the deepest point player). After the cross and shot have been made, players will rotate and mirror the pattern so it goes out to the other side.
  
• Wide Men will stay/Central players will rotate

20 Minutes

KEY POINTS:

• Quality of pass, cross and finish
• Can we play the ball into space so the wide player can run onto the ball and deliver first time. 
• Can we play one touch in the pattern
• Timing of run in the box
• Direction of run - arch run
• Communicating your run to the other attackers

POTENTIAL PROGRESSIONS:

• Add defenders in - a back 4

Small Sided Game

SET UP: 

• 16 Players
• 7v7+2
• 35x20m
• Both teams in 2-3-1 with to outer players as wingers
• Normal game - If you score from a cross that counts as 2 goals, if you score any other way then that counts as 1 goal
• Outer players play for the team in possession, and can move anywhere along the side parameter

KEY POINTS: 

• Use outer players as much as possible
• Reinforce quality of the cross
• Combine in the diamond structure worked on in the first exercise 
• Individual creativity
• Patience to explore different alternatives when playing forward 
• Movement and support to exploit space in front that is avaliable