Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Session Plan 9 & Reflections: Defending the Final Third (Out of possession Specific to SSG)

SSG

SSG:

Blue team: 1-5-2-0 (8 players) Working from the back 11V11 1-5-4-1 I have removed 2 midfielders and a striker.

Red team: 1-2-3-2 (8 players) Working from the back 11V11 1-4-4-2 I have removed 2 defenders one midfielder and added the keeper for SSG.

Total number of players: 16 players

Pitch size: Half pitch.

Duration of the session: 15 minutes small sided game.

Conditions, Challenges & Targets: The blues will be now challenged to defend from the grey zone the final third zone. Their challenge will be to force the reds wide intercept the ball and clear out to width outside the blue lines in the initial specific practice session. The targets for both teams now will be to score on big goals for realism. Blues will be challenged to have maximum 10 seconds to score on the opposite big goals, that is for more realism, and also to see how within 10 seconds of a possession, how well and fast the blues go into transition out of possession and defend their final third by applying pressure in the middle, forcing the reds wide, blocking the crosses to the box and defending the box well.

Problem 1: Reds trying to play through the middle.

Solution: Protect the middle, press on them and force them wide and double on them in the middle.

Problem 2: Reds trying overloads on the flanks and trying to cross.

Solution: Double on them on that flank, leave the furthest player and reflect the shape according to the game play in the final third and block the crosses to the box and protect the box.

Reflections:

The defensive 5 at the back worked well for this session as the blues were able to defend the final third, our box and force the reds wide. The walk through at the start of the specific practice helped the players understand the principles of play that we are practicing today and I think that played a key role in achieving the success of the session. The problems and solutions were used for me to apply the coaching process and also to go through the ifs and buts with a player led coaching methodology where they were given the chance to be creative even in defending and think how we achieve our target by keeping the defending the final third principles in play. I think the concurrent coaching led the blues to keep a good momentum in blocking the reds away from attacking the box, forcing them wide and even minimizing the chances of dangerous crosses. The specific practice looked a bit dull in the aspect of realism with no goals in it but I used that 10 minutes to make the blues understand the principles that I want in the session. I learned the importance of always keeping the realism aspect alive as boys showed more passion in the small sided game when I applied the target of scoring and goals even for the defensive teams within 10 seconds. It also opened up transition scenarios which gave a good test of how they understood the defensive third movement and play.

My action plan for this session next time would be to have it on the bigger pitch with full 11V11 game play, still focusing on how at the full scale we defend our final third. I would also take a stand view to have a better coaching position to analyze the session so I can improve more. I would also use more in-depth terminology to exactly describe the width such as as wide to the touchline, so that the players understand why, how, where we are playing away to protect our box and forcing the opponent wide.