Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Attacking the Final Third

Small Sided Game (15 mins)

Players:

8 x Red Team (Manage)- Defending (4-3-3) Removed Attacking Mid + 2 Wingers

8  x Blue Team (Coach) - Attacking (4-4-2)  Removed 2 FBs+ 1 CB 

Timings: 

2 x 4 min blocks (90 sec rest)  

Framing + Explanation: 

The Reds are defending as a 4-3-3 against a 4-4-2 attacking team. The purpose of this session is attacking in the final third for the blue team. As the reds have a +2 defensive overload, their job will be to defend centrally to prevent the blues from scoring in the shaded box which represents the 'danger zone' for the red team.

The Blues are attacking and have 4 in midfield against the 3 reds (2 in this SSG) and therefore should try to exploit space out wide, before dribbling centrally. The focus should be on playing balls through and over into the 'danger zone' for our two most threatening players up top #9 and #10.

Goalkicks and throw-ins will take place as normal. Attacks can take place from anywhere for either team but there are incentives for both teams to score as outlined in the Targets and Challenges. 

Coaching Problem:

REDS - Defend the central 'danger zone'

The blues are going to attack centrally therefore the reds job is to stay narrow and be compact in the central channel. CBs will look to pin the strikers on the edge of the box. FBs will defend the runs in/outside from blue wingers, while midfielders will track runners from their opposite numbers in midfield. The GK can also add to the defence behind the CBs and can communicate with defenders to identify runners in behind. The lone striker up to will stay high encase of transition attacks.

BLUES - Attack the central 'danger zone'

Because the reds are defending the central channel, we must be creative in how we attack the danger zone. Building on our wide attacks from the specific practice, we will now look to play out wide before carrying the ball centrally, attacking the space between #8 and #2, driving at the #5 CB. Support runs from midfielders will cause the red defenders to make decisions about who to track and we can exploit a 4v2 overload with runners across the 2 CBs and look to play the ball into the danger zone. The opposite winger will look to roll inside to anticipate second balls. The GK and CB will look to defend the space behind the midfield line encase of transition attack. 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

Condition -

There is a shaded box that represents a scoring zone for the blues where goals are worth more if scored from here.

The corners are tapered to replace the fullbacks on the blue team and wingers on the red team

Challenge -

BLUE - Can you be creative in finding ways to play into the shaded box? Can you utilise previous overloads and switches of play from previous sessions to assist with attacking in the final third?

RED - Can you stay narrow and compact to defend the central channels? If you win the ball back can you counter quickly and score within 5sec? Can you identify triggers for when to press the attackers?

Target -

BLUES

If you prevent a scoring opportunity inside the shaded box + transition to score = 2 goals

Any other goal = 1 goal

REDS

If you score by playing through or over into the shaded box and score = 2 goals

Score from anywhere else = 1 goal