Soccer 101 Presentation

SOCCER 101

STYLE OF PLAY 2

STYLE OF PLAY HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

LOW BLOCK/ TRANSITION

PRESSING

POSSESSION

Defensive-minded – absorb pressure then attack

High pressing (“high line”) or “Gegenpressing” (counter pressing)

Ball control – short passes

Chance creation

Progression (incremental)

Need discipline defensively and athletic players offensively

Physically demanding

Collective; Controlled; Methodical Attacks

Passive; Opportunistic; Quick Attacks

Energetic; Physical; Aggressive Attacks

Skills and precision

Go to goal as quick as possible

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STYLE OF PLAY: LOW BLOCK/TRANSITION HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

LOW BLOCK/ TRANSITION Defensive-minded – absorb pressure

• Very difficult to break through • Can be very efficient against teams and coaches that cannot find solutions • Good for AWAY matches

Go to goal as quick as possible Need discipline defensively and athletic players offensively

• Least attractive style, not enjoyable for players and spectators • Need buy-in from all 11 players • Difficult to create chances (only on counter attacks and set pieces)

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STYLE OF PLAY: PRESSING HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

PRESSING High and Counter Pressing Chance creation Physically demanding

• Relentless style that does not give the opponent time to breath • Allows to win the ball high therefore closer to the goal • Energetic, physical, confrontational • More easily “taught” to younger players

• Involves repetitive high-speed running that increases injury risks • Need specific type of players, age of players and mentality • Can leave you very exposed if not done properly • Can be hard to maintain over 90 minutes

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STYLE OF PLAY: POSSESSION HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

POSSESSION Ball control – short passes Skills and precision Progression

• Most balanced style, you are in control of the game and should not be overly exposed • You can work on specific patterns of plays/routes that are REPEATABLE…your “set offense” • Attractive and exciting way to play, players want and like to play that way. Purist form of the game.

• Requires skilled and intelligent players, often smaller technical players • If injuries occur, difficult to have an equal level replacement • Can be predictable if patterns and players are the same

FORMATIONS 7

4-4-2 FORMATION Traditional Formation 2 FWDs: usually 1 Target F and 1 Free Role Strengths •Looks similar in attack and defense: easy to teach •Able to naturally have numbers in the box Weaknesses •Easy to play between lines •Only 2 in CMF

F

F

LW

RW CM

CM

LB

RB CB

CB

GK

4-5-1 FORMATION Controlling CMF 5 MFs and 1 F F

Strengths • Allows you to keep possession with 3 CMFers • Natural width with 5 in MF Weaknesses • Only 1 F; can lack a natural 10 to get in the penalty box • Often rely on transition to create opportunities • Viewed as a defensive set up

LW

RW CM

CM CM LB

RB CB

CB

GK

4-2-3-1 FORMATION F

Most Popular Formation CMF is well occupied Strengths • Dominate in CMF • Space between lines is condensed (more lines)

AM

LW

CM

CM

Weaknesses • Must have attacking FBs to create overloads in wide areas • Lack of numbers in the Penalty Box when balls are crossed (single FWD)

RW

LB

RB CB

CB

GK

4-3-3 FORMATION Dutch Formation Attacking Formation: 3 FWDs (2 Wingers and a Striker)

F LW

Strengths • Attacking formation and can create chances with correct personnel • Constantly threaten backline Weaknesses • Lines of 3 have to cover a lot of width defensively • Need two-way players in midfield to play effectively (typically inverted pyramid).

RW

CM

CM CM

LB

RB CB

CB

GK

3-4-2-1 FORMATION Box Midfield Formation Overwhelm CMF (Popular formation in Brazil)

F LW

Strengths

• Strong Spine • Good for short passing game • Can flex into back 5 easily Weaknesses • Need good passing CBs to start attack as well as very technical players in CMF • Can easily get pinned back into a 5-4-1 defensively

WB

RW

CM

CB

WB

CM

CB

GK

CB

5-3-2 FORMATION Wingback Formation 2 WBs drive system F

Strengths • Good width and control in CMF • With 2 Fs, numbers in the Penalty Box Weaknesses • Tough to get out of defensive posture and get WBs forward • Teams can exploit wide areas if CMFers don’t slide out to help defensively

CM WB CB

F

CM

CB

GK

CM WB CB

4-2-3-1 FORMATION Numerical Positional Language • • • • • • • •

2 = Right Back 3 = Left Back 4/5 = Centerback 6 = Defensive/Holding Midfielder 8 = Box-to-Box Midfielder 7/11 = Winger/Wide Attacker/Forward 10 = Attacking Midfielder/Playmaker 9 = Forward/Striker

Phrases you will hear: • They need a disciplined “6.”

• He can play as an “8 or a 10.”

• Messi is the best “10” in the world.

• They like to play with a “target 9.”

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11

10

7 8

6

3

2 4

5

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RULES OF THE GAME 15

RULES OF THE GAME: REFEREES/VAR HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

REFEREES Like all sports – the arbitrator of the game They have help: Assistant Referees (ARs) – responsible for offside and assisting determining fouls From all around the world – different interpretations of the laws of the game

• Keeps the flow of the game going and allows the players to decide the match • Responsible for the safety of the players • “Call the obvious. Don’t go looking for it.”

• Massive influence on the match (see PKs & RCs) • Pressure from players, coaches/staff, stadium • Inconsistent – different interpretation and lack of familiarity of the players (i.e. compared to MLS refs)

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RULES OF THE GAME: YELLOW AND RED CARDS HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

YELLOW AND RED CARDS Yellow = first warning (bad foul, delaying game, descent, etc.)

Red = “denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity” or endangering the safety of an opponent (often 2nd Yellow Card)

• Gives the referee power to control the game • High possession teams exploit 11v10 better than transition teams • VAR is a safety net: “clear and obvious”

• Red cards change games: cuts win probability in half (and ruins most games!)

• Poor decision in the World Cup can send a team/player out of the competition

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RULES OF THE GAME: OFFSIDE HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

OFFSIDE Same concept as football and hockey, except a moving offside “line” Where is the attacker in relation to the last defender when the ball is played forward Constantly changing law: “daylight rule” in CPL

• Rewards good timing of attacking runs and good coordinated defending • Very difficult to break through • Stops goal “sucks” who hang near the goal

• Marginal decisions: VAR • Stops the flow of the game with VAR interventions • Requires perfect alignment and timing of ARs – need repetition and at the highest level, can be extremely difficult

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RULES OF THE GAME: PENALTY KICK (PK) HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

PENALTY KICK Foul inside the 18y box Shot is taken from 12y out

• Rewards teams for getting into the penalty box • Leaves an element of drama – success at the World Cup is 79% • PK shootouts are lower: 70%

Go to goal as quick as possible Need discipline defensively and athletic players offensively

• Gives referees and VAR huge influence on a low scoring sport • The reward encourages embellishment in the penalty box • In knockout rounds, teams play for PKs

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PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON 20

PRIME SUPERSTARS HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

Kylian Mbappe France/Real Madrid • Won 20 major trophies • 5x French player of the year • 14x Top league goal scorer

Erling Haaland Norway/Man City • Won 12 major trophies • 8x Footballer of the Year • 8x Top league goal scorer

Vinícius Júnior Brazil/Real Madrid • Won 14 major trophies • 2024 FIFA Player of the Year • 2x Top goal scorer

Jude Bellingham England/Real Madrid • Won 20 major trophies • 5x French player of the year • 14x Top league goal 21 scorer

BREAKOUT STARS HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

Lamine Yamal Spain/Barcelona • Won 6 major trophies (18y old) • 2024 European Champion • Youngest player to appear for Barcelona (15 years 9 months)

Desire Doue France/PSG • Won 7 major trophies (20y old) • 2024/5 Champions League (youngest ever G&A in final) • 50m Euro buy Rennes

Joao Neves Portugal/PSG • Won 10 major trophies (21y old) • Moved to Lisbon at age 11 to pursue career • 70m Euro buy from Benfica

Florian Wirtz Germany/Liverpool • Won 3 major trophies (23y old) • Youngest ever Bundesliga goalscorer (17y 34d) • 100m £ buy from 22 Bayer Leverkusen

LEGACY PLAYERS HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

Lionel Messi Argentina/Inter MIami • Won 44 major trophies • 8x Ballon D’Or Winner • 25x Top Goal Scorer • 91 goal in 2012 calendar year

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal/Al-Nassr • Won 33 major trophies • 5x Ballon D’Or Winner • 22x Top Goal Scorer • First to score in 5 World Cups

Luka Modric Croatia/Real Madrid • Won 33 major trophies • 2018 Ballon D’Or Winner • 196 Record most appearances for National Team

• • • •

Kevin De Brune Belgium/Napoli Won 23 major trophies 2x EPL POY 2022 fastest ever in CL 39.1 km/h Left home at 14y to23 Genk

SOCCER NATIONS 24

SOCCER NATIONS HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

FUN FACTS Four countries that qualified for the World Cup are NOT considered “soccer nations:” • • • •

USA CANADA AUSTRAILIA NEW ZEALAND

Curacao is the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup: Est. Population – 156,000 Biggest World Cup: 48 Teams Three Host Nations: USA, Canada, Mexico 25