The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCERCOACHING International
No. 27 June/July 2008
Guus Hiddink, Russia
Marco van Basten, The Netherlands
Roberto Donadoni, Italy
Luiz Felipe Scolari, Portugal
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Contents 4
GUUS HIDDINK, RUSSIAN NATIONAL TEAM COACH: If he says the ball is oval, his players will believe it
From the Editor
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LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI, PORTUGUESE NATIONAL TEAM COACH: Who scores, wins!
Euro Mania Welcome to yet another issue of SoccerCoachingInternational.
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MARCO VAN BASTEN, DUTCH NATIONAL TEAM:
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TRAINING SESSIONS FROM AROUND THE EURO
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THE WORLD CHAMPIONS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT:
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INTERESTING FACTS & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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RANKING THE EURO
“The Orange rollercoaster through Euro 2008”
More eclectic players and more tactical options
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SWEDISH NATIONAL TEAM:
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COLUMN PAUL COOPER
“The importance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic”
This 27th issue is entirely dedicated to International soccer’s second biggest tournament the 2008 edition of the European Championship held in Switzerland and Austria. Great soccer tournaments are measured by great games, and in contrast to World Cup 2006, Euro 2008 seemed to offer up a terrific match every day. There were a few exceptions, but many more classics, including a bad-tempered final match where Spain finally ripped the underachiever tag off their backs. SoccerCoachingInternational followed some of the 16 participating teams during their preparation for the tournament up to the knock-out stage by attending training sessions and analysing a handfull of games. During our tour around Switzerland and Austria we were not only fortunate enough to watch the world’s best players and coaches train and play the game we love, but were also able to experience the Euro atmosphere first hand. Another championship experience we will remember for the rest of our lives. Of course the tour brought more than experiences and memories to reminisce about, as it laid the groundwork for this SoccerCoachingInternational Euro 2008 special issue featuring 5 exclusive articles on Russia, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Sweden. Of course this issue also features our training session section: with 14 pages of exercises we spotted during our tour around Switzerland and Austria. A special issue would not be complete without some interesting facts and food for though and our very own Euro rankings. I thoroughly hope you enjoy this special Euro edition of SoccerCoachingInternational and wish you lots of reading and surfing pleasure! Yours in soccer, Maaike Denkers Managing Editor
The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCER COACHING International
SPECIAL
Guus Hiddink, Russian National Team coach:
If he says the ball is oval, his players will believe it When Guus Hiddink takes the wheel of a national soccer team, be it Dutch, Korean or Australian, he always brings out the best in the players. His latest achievement is catapulting Russia from a soccer doormat to a semifinalist of Euro 2008. Over 9 months ago everybody with a Russian heart nearly gave up hope of qualifying for the European Championship 2008 after Russia lost against Israel with 1-2. Due to this defeat the Russians were dependant on the other teams for qualification. The last group match between England and Croatia at Wembley Stadium had to be won by Croatia, who already qualified. England needed one point for qualification. Unfortunately for the English, the impossible happened. Croatia won the match and Russia qualified for the European Championship at the cost of England. By: Tom van den Heiligenberg & Maaike Denkers
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Up until 1991 the Russian soccer players played for the SovietUnion (USSR). The first years after the fall of the Soviet-Union were not that successful for the new Russian team. They qualified twice for the World Cup and twice for the European Championships, but never sur vived the group stage. In 2006 Dutch coach Guus Hiddink was appointed as head coach of the Russian national team (with Igor Kornejev as his assistant) with the purpose to bring back the brilliant football from the past. About half a year ago Hiddink talked to the Dutch violist and concert master Jaap van Zweden. Hiddink wanted to know how Van Zweden practiced with his orchestras. Van Zweden told Hiddink that he doesn’t rehearse just because you have to rehearse, but he practices because he wants to improve the skills of his musicians. His musicians have to play as an orchestra more than as individual instrumentalist, which was the lesson which Hiddink learned.
Change of perception When Hiddink started to work with the Russian squad he noticed that his players, at their clubs, train for the sake of training. Hiddink wanted to change that mentality. He trained on structurally attacking football and most of all he wanted his players to have fun during a training session. Coaches in Russia are authorities, so Russian players aren’t used to Hiddink’s approach of everyone being at the same level. The first training with Hiddink at the helm the Dutchman played a game of juggling the ball. The first player to drop the ball had to bend-over and the other players were allowed to kick the ball aiming at his behind. The stiff Russians had a great laugh. The ice was broken, which is just what Hiddink wanted. One time Hiddink took his bicycle from the hotel to the training ground. The team went with the bus. Somewhere along the way the bus approached Hiddink, who was biking in the middle of the road, so the bus couldn’t pass him. Hiddink raised his middle finger to the bus, which again created a hilarious moment for the players. This way Hiddink showed that even he is just a man who you can have fun with.
Eliminate possible ‘murderers’ Another trademark of Hiddink’s successful approach is to eliminate possible ‘murderers’. The hierarchy is lifted, star players who ruin the atmosphere and are selected based on their status suddenly had to fight for their position in the team. You are selected based on your quality, warned Hiddink. The traditional selection had to give 100% in order to be reselected. For Alexei Smer tin from Fullham and Aleksandr Kerzakhov (former Sevilla), who didn’t play much at their club this meant the end of their spot in the team. Hiddink: “If you don’t play at your club, than you will not be selected for this tournament.” But, Hiddink is realistic enough to always give his players a second chance, as was the case with the 32-year old Sergei Semak. Semak didn’t play a minute for the national team in the past two years. But he had a great season with his club Rubin Kazan, therefore he played all 497 minutes during this European Championship as the captain of the team. “Every day he shows we have made the right decision and he deserves it to be our captain”, said assistant-coach Igor Korneev. Hiddink brings confidence and believe in players’ own qualities, he takes away the pressure from the media, but behind closed he will really push his players. “Hiddink could tell his players that a ball is oval and in a cer tain way they would really believe it.” He earned their trust in such a way they are willing to do almost ever ything for him.
Young squad The Russian squad was the youngest selection represented at the European Championships. The average age of the Russian team was 25,7 years. Hiddink gave priority to young talent over seasoned options in many positions. For example the goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev (08.04.1986) was the No.1 goalie this tournament but during a six-month lay-off with a cruciate injur y both Vyacheslav Malafeev (04.03.1979) and Vladimir Gabulov (19.10.1983) proved able deputies.
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Aleksandr Anyukov was called on when Hiddink switched his formation from his usual 3-5-2 to a four-man defense, though he can also be deployed as a defensive right midfielder. Centre-back Denis Kolodin, meanwhile, excelled when covering for injured and suspended teammates. A packed midfield proved vital in helping the back three keep the goals down and Russia conceded just seven in qualifying – four of them against England. Igor Semshov and Konstantin Zyrianov – at 30 the oldest member of Hiddink's squad and Russia's Player of the Year in 2007 – play the anchor role while Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Vladimir Bystrov, Ivan Saenko, Dmitri Torbinskiy and especially Yuri Zhirkov all offer an attacking threat. While Russia boast a five-man midfield on paper, in practice there is often a sixth man in the middle, with star striker Andrei Arshavin, who was suspended for the first two games of European Championship, attacking from deep accompanied by Roman Pavlyuchenko and Dmitri Sychev. Success at national team increasingly become dependant on having players who produce something special or are unpredictable in the final third.
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has
The current Russian side is blessed with at least three young players: Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Andrei Arshavin.
Moral Hiddink has an uncanny knack to captivate and win over his players. Before the 2002 World Cup, he would encourage Korean players by saying their team would surprise the world. When Korea advanced to the quar ter finals, he fur ther boosted morale with creative figures of speech such as “I’m hungr y for more.” He has used similar tactics with Russia. The Dutchman has constantly said he is proud of his team and that if beating the Dutch team is akin to being a traitor, so be it.
Physical When Hiddink led the Korean team back in 2001, he told Lee Yong-soo, who was then chairman of the Korea Football Association’s technical committee, that the biggest problem with the team is weak physical fundamentals. Since Lee said Korea’s strength lay in solid physical fundamentals and determination, he disagreed. Lee, however, had to eat his words after the coach showed him a video in which players began to tire 10 minutes after the game began. This led to a focus on strengthening physical stamina, something that helped Korea go to the quar ter finals. Hiddink says building strong physical fundamentals is the star ting point of soccer training. Therefore, he took the Russian team to a workout camp in Germany from the end of May ahead of Euro 2008 to implement the “power training” program he used in Korea. The coach conducted power training twice a day while switching the intensity ever y three days between “intensive” and “less intensive.” No wonder the Russians put up a strong fight against the Dutch until the ver y last minute of extended time.
Hiddink's "Dutch strategy" Hiddink is known throughout the world as a master of strategy and tactics and he has again reinforced that label with his per formance with Russia. From the moment Hiddink took over as head coach for the Russian squad, he has been trying to build a "Dutch" football philosophy within the Russian squad. And the match against Macedonia was probably the beginning of this new Russian football era. Hiddink’s new formation consists of only 3 defensive players and 7 players, who can take over more offensive tasks, even in away matches. "That is my football philosophy. Even after we drew at home to Israel in our second qualifier, I wasn't going to change our tactics. I would not make things more defensive. This team has to develop its own style and I see this as an attacking one. When we got together for this match, I just had to check whether our more talented players could stick to team discipline when we didn't have the ball, as not all creative players can do so. But I was delighted with how we worked as a team today as everyone stayed with the group and played for each other."
Diagram 1: 1:4:1:3:2 to 1:3:5:2 Wingbacks move up while defending midfielder stays behind
Diagram 2: 1:4:1:3:2
Diagram 3: 1:3:5:2
Diagram 4: 1:4:4:2
Diagram 5: 1:3:4:2:1
Diagram 6: 1:3:4:3
“Hiddink has exploded the myths of football with what he has achieved at this tournament”
Systems Hiddink plays a version of three at the back, very similar in style to the way Terry Venables set up his England team at the European Championship in 1996. Russia use four defenders, but when the full backs push on, a holding player drops in to make three. The whole system is very fluid and flexible, and Russia’s movement was probably the best of any team at the tournament. Hiddink has exploded the myths of football with what he has achieved at this tournament, because in two years he has radicalized a group of players, by refusing to entertain the idea that all an international manager can do is make the best of what he is given, rather than taking this raw material and refining it. Hiddink has had Russia for two years and has built a team that can play five different ways in a single campaign.
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Versus Holland
Keys to success
Before the match Hiddink had earmarked Holland's left side as a prime threat. Having seen how Wesley Sneijder had linked with the overlapping Giovanni van Bronckhorst, how the two had combined with Rafael van der Vaart to give Italy and France all sorts of grief, this wily old coach set about working on ways to avoid a repeat.
Hiddink is widely acknowledged as a tactical genius, but his preparatory methods are simple. They revolve around blood, sweat and tears and those who can’t or won’t accept it are not welcome. “If you want to be competitive in this very difficult tournament, you have to be at the top of your fitness,” Hiddink said. “That means you have to suffer and invest a little bit in your body and in your mind, which the players did. It was very intensive.”
Ivan Saenko, a tactical player, was asked to push back Van Bronckhorst, and track Sneijder when Holland got the ball. Aided by anchorman Sergei Semak and right-back Aleksandr Anyukov, Saenko per formed the task brilliantly. Van Bronckhorst hardly crossed the halfway line in the first 45 minutes and Sneijder was restricted to taking pot-shots from distance. While the plan briefly stalled Diagram 7: versus Holland when Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt swapped sides, some order was restored upon Robin van Persie's introduction. Hiddink was ready for that one, too. He told Konstantin Zyr yanov to stay ver y tight -- an instruction the Zenit St Petersburg player took to extremes. Wherever Van Persie roamed, Zyr yanov followed. The Arsenal man, in truth, hardly got a sniff.
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Hiddink’s key words (and maybe even) his secrets to success are: - Fitness - Attaining high levels of fitness, allowing the team to execute high pressure on the opponent the entire match - Defending as a team - High full pitch pressure - Pressuring the opponent to play to long pass, allowing Hiddink to get the best out of his central defenders - And in case of Russia: attacking - Quick counter attacks - Quick passing
Challenges ahead “The challenge is for Russian football to establish itself and to regain its position in European and international football,” Hiddink said. “It’s not just for me. The challenge is for Russia to make use of the momentum we’ve achieved here to improve infrastructure in the country.”
General purpose of the training The last exercise is executed with a high ball speed and handling by the players. The first matches played by the Russian’s this tournament showed us they are capable of playing at high speed. They also showed us great positional play. The way they played was reflected in this training session.
Russian goalkeeping 1 Organization: - 3 goalkeepers - 2 coaches
Progression: - Coach A throws a ball in the air which goalkeeper C has to catch before it hits the ground - When goalkeeper C has control over the ball he has to get back as fast as possible because Coach B will lob a ball over him. The goalkeeper has to tip it over the crossbar - After this the goalkeepers switch places
Russian goalkeeping 2 Organization: - 3 goalkeepers - 2 coaches
Progression: - Goalkeeper C starts at the near post - At the signal he has to sprint to coach A than backwards to the middle of the goal - Coach B will shoot a ball towards the far post - The goalkeeper has to make a save - After making a save the next keeper will start at the near post.
Russian finishing Organization: - 3 goalkeepers - at least 6 players - 6 cones
Progression: -
Cones are placed as illustrated A starts by passing the ball to B B returns the ball to A, he passes it to C C drops the ball wide so B can finish on goal After shooting on goal B will take C’s place and A will take B’s place Player C will collect the ball and join the back of the line After B has shot on goal the same exercise starts at the left side of the pitch
Variation : - Limit the number of touches - Change the distance between the cone
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The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCER COACHING International
SPECIAL
Luiz Felipe Scolari, Portuguese National Team Coach:
Who scores, wins! Portugal started Euro 2008 as one of the favorites for the title, with the star player Cristiano Ronaldo as a major catalyst, supported by names like Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and Simão, amongst others. But Portugal has another weapon, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has an astonishing record of leading national team to the final stages of major tournament; 4th place in the World Cup 2006 and 2nd place in the Euro 2004 both with Portugal and winning the World Cup 2002 with his native Brazil. Portugal lived up to the expectations during the group stage, quickly securing a sport in the quarterfinal winning its first 2 matches in Group A. However, their dream was shattered by “cold blooded” Germany, with Joachim Löw at the helm. Germany won the tactical battle, exploring Portugal’s weak points and being very successful in numbing the Portuguese strengths. Time for SoccerCoachingInternational to sum up and analyze the Portuguese matches and playing style during the tournament, and to point out why they were unable to live up to the expectations. By: Hugo Vicente
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Scolari has experimented and can play many different system of play with his Portuguese side. The preferred system is the 4-2-3-1 formation, but Portugal can easily switch to a 4-3-3 or 5-4-1 depending on the situation, with another option the 3-4-3 formation Scolari favored when his Brazil team won the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
“Their dream was shattered by ‘cold blooded’ Germany”
The formation Portugal played with a combination between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation. Depending on how the positions were occupied by the players. Diagrams 1a and 1b explain the difference (and similarities) between the two formations. In the 4-3-3 with a line defense, Portugal was strongly covered in the middle by two excellent players, Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho. The two side backs, Paulo Ferreira, playing on the left, almost without attacking, giving freedom to Bosingwa on the right side, to move up and down the field, exploring the space in front of him usually created with moves to the middle by the right wingers, Ronaldo or Simão. On midfield, Petit was in charge of all the defensive roles, while Moutinho and Deco were in charge of attacking. Moutinho acted more as a backup for his teammates, which created the perfect environment and gave the necessary freedom to Deco to be the most important player in all the attacking plays of the Portuguese team. In attack, the two wingers, Simão and Ronaldo, had orders to explore the 1v1 situations, and explode to the middle, searching for a shot or simple combinations with Deco or Nuno Gomes. This had to create space and explore the gaps between the opponent defenders.
Diagram 1a: 4-3-3 with a line defense
Diagram 1b: 4-2-3-1
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Alternatives Against Turkey, when the Portuguese midfield was having trouble to control the play, the system changed to a 4-4-2 in a diamond shape, with Moutinho and Meireles as inside midfielders, giving much more balance to the team. This proved to be a successful option. Against Germany, when Scolari had to do something to turn the match around in his favor, he opted for a 4-4-2, but now with a classic approach: a line midfield, where Ronaldo was acting as a second striker, with two wide wingers.
Diagram 2: 4-4-2 with a diamond on midfield
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Rather than being thought-out strategies both solutions seemed more like a last resource to turn the play around. Especially against Germany the strategy turned Portugal into a fragile team in crucial moments, because Germany counterattacked by playing with two defensive midfielders, not allowing Deco the space to dictate play. The German defensive midfielders also provided cover to the wingbacks, not allowing the Portuguese winger to explore the 1v1 situations. During most of the first half, Portugal where only able to play through the middle or opt for the long pass, this left the Portuguese forward to face the tall German defense by himself.
Diagram 3: 4-4-2 with a line midfield
No. 27 June/July 2008
Diagram 4: The German Answer
The attacking principles Portugal is a team that likes to control the rhythm of the game, to be in charge at all times with great passing and moving quality. The first option is always to build up from the back, find Deco in midfield, who would then decide what the best attacking option is for the Portuguese attack. This usually meant looking for Nuno Gomes to initiate a wall pass or to find the wingers, who had moved to the middle in order to create space for themselves. The other frequent option in the Portuguese attacking patterns was to find Sim達o and Ronaldo, or Quaresma and Nani, on the flanks, who are all superb players in 1v1 situations. They would use this quality to create space in the middle in order to combine with Nuno Gomes, or create room in the right wing for Bosingwa to dribble to the end line and cross into the penalty area.
Diagram 5: Portuguese attacks
Portugal showed great mobility in the attacking third, with Deco and Moutinho appearing from the back, and this is what makes Portugal a hard opponent to play against, especially when inspiration is on their side. However, that same mobility makes Portugal vulnerable in counter attacking situations.
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Defensive transitions
Portuguese Elastics
Organisation: - 10 players divided in 5 couples - 5 elastic bands
Progression: - The 5 couples line up next to each other with 2 meters space between - One player will stand behind the other - The elastic band is put on the waist of the player in front. - The front player tries to sprint; the other player tries to hold him in position by holding the elastic band and using his weight. - After 10 seconds the players switch places
Portuguese Zig-Zag
The attacking mentality of the Portuguese side was one of the details well explored by Germany. With constant overlaps to create space, and usually with six players involved in the attacking phase Portugal was unable to recover fast enough and to re-organize itself during loss of possession. This left a lot of open spaces, specially on midfield, which frequently made the central defenders get out of their positions, to avoid the opponents progression, creating even more space behind them, which is exactly what happened with Germany’s first goal. Portugal organized themselves defending in the middle third, knowing their difficulties to deal with long balls into their defensive third, and ensuring they did not leave too much space behind the defensive line by playing with a zone defense. They applied pressure on the player in possession, trying to force the opponent to make mistakes. The general idea worked in the first games, mainly because of the speed of Pepe and Bosingwa, who allowed the team to recover quickly. Diagram 6: Transition
Portuguese Hoops
Organisation:
Organisation:
- 6 cones - 10 players
- 7 hoops - 10 players - 1 cone
Progression: - Cones are placed as shown in the image. - Players line up in a row - On turn the players will have to zig-zag between the cones as shown in the image - After the last cone they will sprint 15 meters to the last cone. - Repeat this exercise for at least 3 times.
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Progression: -
Hoops are placed on the ground as shown in the image Players line up in a row On turn the players will have to jump the course. They have to land in the hoop with two legs, when there are two hoops placed next to each other they have to land in both hoops with a leg. - The exercise ends with a 15 meter sprint after the last hoop. - Repeat this exercise for at least 3 times
However, against Germany, Joachim LĂśw invited the Portuguese team to attack, and the created space proved lethal for the Portuguese side, as they were unable to effectively deal with the fast breaks (counterattacks) presented by the German side.
Dead ball situations Another weak point of the Portuguese team was dealing with crosses into their own penalty area. When an opponent took a corner kick, Scolari kept 3 players in attack and used man-marking inside the box, with two players marking a zone. This could obviously create a healthy discussion about the kind of marking that is best suited for these situations, but the truth is that Portugal showed a lack of attitude in these situations, the players were not following their opponents, which caused Scolari’s strategy to fail. Another aspect in which the players failed their duties was the organization, as all too frequently you could see the players looking around, searching for their position and/or tasks at hand. Diagram 7: Corners
Portuguese Cone play
Who scores, wins! It is always easier to point out mistakes after the fact. The truth is that Portugal played some good games and was able to create some great moments, but, small details in a competition like this can make the difference. Germany, were very successful and smart to explore those details. Portugal created plenty of scoring opportunities in all their games, but against Germany they failed to finish enough of those created opportunities. Football is a great game, and it continues to develop. It has become much faster, more intense, more technical, more tactical and more physical, but in the end there is only one thing the really matters and that has never changed: the winner is the team that scores the most goals! Portugal did show the quality to go on, they had excellent possession, they created great plays, the used the pitch, using depth, width, good passing, they have great players, but, to be successful, you have to win games and in competitions, nowadays, teams need to score much more with less opportunities, and that's what Germany did!
Portuguese 5v5
Organisation:
Organisation:
- Marked area: 20 meters width, 15 meters long - 10 players - 2 cones
- Marked area: 20 meters width, 15 meters long - 5v5 - Without goals
Progression:
Progression:
-
5 players take place at each cone Start at cone A The player at cone A passes the ball to cone B. After passing he will sprint to cone B and joins the line of players. - The player at cone B directly passes the ball to cone A without controlling the ball - After passing he will sprint to cone A and join the line. - The next players in line will execute the exercise the same way, that way the ball will be into play constantly.
- Play a regular 5 v 5 on possession - Only 2 touches of the ball allowed - Each 10 complete passes will give the team a point.
GENERAL PURPOSE OF TRAINING PORTUGAL The training consisted of intense sprint work followed by a game with the focus on possession. This shows the way the Portuguese team plays; they have a strong focus on possession.
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The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCER COACHING International
SPECIAL
Marco van Basten, Dutch National Team:
“The Orange rollercoaster through Euro 2008” Marco van Basten's time as the Dutch National team coach will end after UEFA EURO 2008™ – so the 43-year-old was determined to prolong his reign for as long as possible. Van Basten already has a UEFA European Championship winner's medal having been the fulcrum of the Orange side that triumphed in 1988 and was hoping for another one, this time as the leader on the sidelines. Since he took control after the 2004 Euro van Basten has experimented with bringing new players on board as well as changing systems of play. SoccerCoachingInternational followed the Dutchman and his orange army on their way and during Euro 2008. Text by: Rien van Wolfswinkel
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The 4-3-3 system synonymous with the Netherlands since Rinus Michels' team of the 1970s has been overlooked in favor of a more pragmatic 4-4-2, which has paid off with the Orange booking their place in Austria and Switzerland. Michels himself had switched to a 4-4-2 in 1988 following the opening game – a 1-0 defeat by the Soviets – so there is a positive precedent. In December of last year Van Basten introduced the 4-2-3-1 as another alternative. The Netherlands conceded only five times in qualifying, a steely defense that provided the foundations for a more elaborate midfield. With plenty of options, both in the player selection process as well as system of play the Dutch entered the preparation phase.
traveled to Switzerland. In the squad were two players who had been troubled by injuries since the start of the preparations. Robin van Persie, striker of Arsenal FC, and Mario Melchiot. Soon it became clear that both players wouldn’t be fit for the first match against Italy, but both players remained on the team roster. Days before the first match against Italy the Dutch were facing another injury blow. Arjen Robben, the left-winger from Spanish giants Real Madrid, was faced with a groin injury which would take him 7 to 10 days to recover from. This was another big disappointment for Van Basten. He had to play the first match against the World Champions without three world class players as Ryan Babel, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.
Preparation 1 The Dutch team started their official preparations for Euro 2008 on May 20th. The training sessions took place on the sport complex of Quick Boys in Katwijk, near the Dutch coast. Van Basten had 8 days to decide which team of 23 players he would select for the Euro. There weren’t any huge surprises in his final squad. The only big decision Van Basten had to make was the choice between Mario Melchiot and Khalid Boulahrouz. Van Basten chose Melchiot over Boulahrouz, because he had played the entire season and Boulahrouz was missing match-rhythm. After these decisions the Dutch squad had to play two more friendly matches. The first one was against Denmark on May 29th. The match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw. The last match before traveling to Switzerland was against Wales on June 1st. This match ended in a 2-0 win.
Injuries A day before the friendly match against Wales the Euro Championship ended for Ryan Babel. The winger from Liverpool got injured during training and had to be replaced. This was a big loss for the Dutch squad. Babel had a very good first season at Liverpool were he had been chosen as the talent of the year by the fans. The replacement van Basten called up was a surprise for many. Khalid Boulahrouz, who had been dropped of the list in the first place, was added to the Dutch squad right before they
Expectations As always the Dutch suppor ters are expecting nothing less than the title. And this has to be achieved with brilliant football. The Dutch team is well known for their great football back in the seventies. They didn’t win a title with it, but they are still remembered as the best Dutch team ever. Even better than the team that won the only big price in Dutch histor y, the squad that won the European Title in 1988. But if you look at the form of the Dutch squad that was preparing for the group stage of Euro 2008, the fan expectations seemed to be too high. The qualifying stage was successful, but not with the football the Dutch suppor ters expect. For instance, the Dutch won both their matches against Luxemburg, the number 153 on the FIFA ranking, with 1-0. These scores also marked the turning point of the Dutch fans against their own squad. They didn’t accept this kind of play. Regardless, the results were still good and the Dutch team qualified for the Euro. They were placed in a ver y strong group with World Champions Italy, runner up France and Romania. It was obvious that this was a ver y strong group which tempered the expectations in the Netherlands. Many thought the Dutch needed a miracle to sur vive the group stages. And with the form showed in qualifying stage it was a reasonable thought.
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Netherlands – Italy
Netherlands – France
As mentioned the expectations weren’t very high before the match. Many fans would 3:0 have settled for a draw. Like the Dutch, who missed Babel, van Persie, Robben and Melchiot, the Italian team also had a big injury. Captain Fabio Cannavaro, Real Madrid’s central defender, injured his ankle and was out of the tournament. So both teams weren’t able to play with the starting eleven as hoped. The match went brilliant for the Dutch. After a few chances for the Italians it was Ruud van Nistelrooij, Real Madrid’s striker, who opened the score. The goal was heavily discussed, as he looked to be in an off-side position, because Panucci was lying behind the back line. But a rule not known by many says that a player who is lying behind the back line and is not treated for an injury is participating in the game. This goal gave the Dutch the lead and the Italians could not find the concentration they had at the start of the match. Five minutes later Wesley Sneijder hit the second one in finishing a brilliant attack with an evenly brilliant volley.
After the promising start and the way the Dutch played, expectations for this match were high. 4:1 Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie could both play again, they didn’t star t, but were available as substitutes. The Dutch star ted with the same 11 players and strategy as they did against Italy. With a prominent role just in front of the four defenders for the defensive midfielders: Nigel de Jong and Orlando Engelaar. With the creativity of Rafael van der Vaar t and Wesley Sneijder, the always hard working Dirk Kuyt and the killer in the box Ruud van Nistelrooij, the Dutch went on to take the French. After 10 minutes in the match, a corner from Rafael van der Vaar t was knocked home by Dirk Kuyt. But, unlike the Italians, the French weren’t stunned and went on attacking. They overplayed the Dutch midfield and were able to put the pressure on the defenders. Van der Sar looked to have magnets in his gloves and stopped ever y shot the French produced. Shor tly after the half-time break the French should have been awarded a penalty kick, but the referee didn’t see it, so the Dutch were ver y lucky to stay ahead. The French paid the price for missing changes and Dutch substitute van Persie gave the his team a 2 goal lead. The French kept on coming and tried to get back into the game. In the 70th minute Henr y gave the French some hope, but it was smashed into pieces a minute later when Robben scored from an impossible angle. The 4-1 by Wesley Sneijder was another great goal, which provided the icing on the cake. Against all expectations the Dutch had 6 points after two matches beating the World Champion and the runner up. The French deser ved more, but the Dutch goalkeeper was simply too good.
Netherlands – Romania
Diagram 1: 1:4:2:3:1
The Dutch played in a 1:4:2:3:1 formation (diagram 1), with 3 creative midfielders. The Italians weren’t able to cope with the 3 creative midfielders and got out of position. Italy’s right and left midfielders tried to stop them, a task that should have been reserved for the backs. As this defense gave Holland’s central midfielders Engelaar and de Jong the ability to built up and pass the ball to one of the 3 attacking midfielders. They were given too much time and space. After the half time whistle the Italians were trying to get back into the match, but were stopped by the 37-year old Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. They put more pressure on the midfield and the Dutch were struggling to keep possession. 10 minutes before the end of the match Giovanni van Bronckhorst finished a great team play with a header from close range. Without star players as Robben and van Persie the Dutch won 3-0 from the World Champions Italy, the tournament couldn’t have star ted better for the Dutch. They played one of the best matches under Coach Marco van Basten.
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No. 27 June/July 2008
The group last match was only impor tant for Romania; with a win they would have 2:0 progressed to the quar ter finals. The Dutch were already in the quar ter finals as group winner, allowing them to give their substitutes the change to play. Being the last hope to progress you would expect the Romanians to play on offense and give it their all, but they were playing ver y defensive and didn’t put any pressure on the Dutch. As a result, the Dutch played at a ver y low pace and the match developed into a boring game of chess. The Romanians were punished for there lack of ambition by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie. They both scored a goal, ensuring the Dutch a third win in a row. The Romanians were eliminated as the Italians moved on after a 2-0 win against France.
Quarterfinal Netherlands – Russia As a result of winning the group the expectations in the Netherlands were sky high. The fans were 1:3 certain that this team would go all the way. The quarter final against Russia shouldn’t be a problem. In the group stage the Russians were defeated by Spain with 4-1, but ensured a place in the quarter finals with a great match against Sweden. This match should have been a warning for the Dutch. Arjen Robben was again out with a groin injury so the Dutch started with the same players as the matches against Italy and France. From the first minutes the Russians put pressure on all the Dutch players, who couldn’t handle the pressure. The Russians seemed fitter, stronger and faster than the Dutch. That the Russians weren’t ahead at half time was because Van der Sar again proved to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The inevitable happened 10 minutes into the second half. Roman Pavlyuchenko finished a Sergey Semak cross to put the Russians in front. The Dutch didn’t create any chances and were only dangerous with set plays. The Russians refused to score the second goal and paid the price for it minutes before the final whistle. A Wesley Sneijder free kick was headed in by Ruud van Nistelrooij to bring the score level and into extra time. For a minute the Russians were decreased to ten men, but referee Lubos Michel decided that the ball did not cross the line and therefore the yellow card, and the subsequent red card, was withdrawn. In overtime it became even clearer that the Russians were better than the Dutch, only a miracle would save the Dutch and it didn’t happened. In the second half of overtime Dmitri Torbinski and key player Andrei Arshavin gave Russia the advantage and sent the Dutch home. All in all a deserved victory for Coach Guus Hiddink and his Russian squad. They didn’t give the Dutch the time and space to play their game the way they defeated the Italians and French.
Diagram 2: Midfield pressure No. 27 June/July 2008
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Conclusion The strategy used by the Dutch, a 1:4:2:3:1 formation, was very successful in the group stage. It was so successful other teams adapted this strategy. Germany used it in the quarter final win against Portugal. After the group stage the believe in the first title since 1988 was high. That’s normal if you survive the strongest group with 9 points in 3 matches beating the World Champion and the runner-up. In the quarter finals the Russians showed they had the strategy and players to beat the Dutch (diagram 2). They constantly put the Dutch midfield under pressure. The Dutch defense wasn’t able to build up from the back the way they did against Italy. The Russians gave the Dutch right wingback Boulahrouz the time and space to attain possession, but he isn’t the player to start an attack. The central midfielders De Jong and Engelaar were put under high pressure.
They had to pass almost every ball to a defender, resulting in the inability to build up a solid attack. The Russian wingbacks kept the Dutch midfielders occupied with their defensive duties. All the creativity of these midfielders got lost in trying to defend the backs. This type of play by the Russians needed a physical and conditionally strong team, which they have. The Dutch played a great match against Italy, were very lucky against France and were over classed by the Russians. The expectations were high after the group stage, so the tournament ended in a huge disappointment.
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Warm-up
Finishing game 1
Organization:
Organization:
- 20 players - 2 cones placed 15 meters apart
- 2 regular sized goals placed 25 meters apart - 20 players - 2 goalkeepers
Progression: -
Players line up at the first cone One by one the players start sprinting to the first cone After the sprint the players jog back to the first cone Repeat the exercise 10 times
Variation: - Sprint in duo’s - Sprint as a team
Finishing game 2
Progression: -
Divide the team in two groups Players line up at the post Both groups start at the same time Players dribble for 5 -10 meters After dribbling the player finishes on goal After shooting the player joins the other group
4v4
Organization:
Organization:
-
- Pitch size 25 x 25 meters - 4v4 - 2 goalkeepers
2 regular sized goals placed 25 meters apart 20 players 2 goalkeepers 2 coaches
Progression: Progression: -
Divide the team in two groups Players line up at the post Both groups start at the same time Player starts by playing the ball to the coach The coach will return the ball and the player finishes on goal - After finishing the player joins the other group
- Play a regular game of 4 v 4 - Divide the game in 4 parts of 4 minutes
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The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCER COACHING International
SPECIAL
Training sessions from a This re-occurring section normally features training sessions from all angles of the world, divided into several zones. This time around we have included sessions form the UEFA Euro 2008; we attended training sessions and matches before and throughout the tournament
Austrian Team Warm-up
Organization: -
Players stretch Then jog around the field All players stand on the halfway line Coach in the middle in front of them All players execute a series of warm-up drills and stretches simultaneously
Progression: 1. Stretch 2. Jog while passing the ball 3. Jog as a group around the field (2x) 4. Stretch 5. Players execute the following moves while jogging / sprinting from the halfway line to the edge of the penalty area: a. Jog: ‘chest crawling’ both arms b. Jog: swinging arms backwards c. High knees d. Heel flicks e. Sidestepping f. Lunge strides g. Skipping h. Skipping backward i. Jump and head j. Turn and sprint 6. Stretch 7. Players execute the following squads while standing on the halfway line a. Squad → up → leg swing (right, left, forward, backward) 5x b. Squad → up → knee raise (right, then left) 5x c. Squad → up → jump and head 5x 8. Players execute the following stretches while standing on the halfway line a. Calf (lunge) Stretch: Stand straight up. Place feet hip distance apart. Step back with your right foot, keeping it straight, while the left knee bends. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
d. Abductor Stretch:
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e. Hip Flexor Stretch:
f. Hip Adductor Stretch:
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b. Hamstring Stretch: Step with one foot forward about half a step, placing your heel in the ground and holding the leg straight. Slightly bend your other knee (Foot in line with your knee). Lean upper body slightly forward. Hold for a 3 count & then switch legs to stretch the opposite side. c. Sitting Hamstring Stretch: Sit with one leg straight out in front and point your toes upwards. Bring your other foot towards your knee and reach towards your toes with both hands. d. Adductor Stretch: Stand with feet as wide apart as is comfortable. Shift weight to one side as knee bends. Reach towards extended foot and hold. Repeat on the other side e. Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on both knees. Step forward with your right foot while keeping your left knee on the floor. Place hands on top of your right thigh. Slide your back leg behind you until you feel the stretch in the front of the hip. To intensify the leg stretches, push your hip forward, straighten your body, and put your hands on your front knee. Hold for 10-12 seconds. Repeat on the other side. f. Hip Adductor Stretch: Sit on the ground with the soles of your feet together. Place your hands on your feet. Bend forward from the hips, keeping the head up. Hold the position 10 to 15 seconds. g. Groin Stretch: Sit on the ground with the legs straight and spread as far apart as possible. Bend forward at the hips, keep the head up, and reach toward the feet. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds. A variation can be to stretch to one side while trying to touch the toes. Next, stretch to the other side. h. Standing Quadriceps Stretch: Hold onto something for support with one hand and grab your ankle with the other hand. Pull your ankle towards your bottom, then try to straighten your knee while resisting with your hand. Repeat on the other side. i. Inner Thigh Stretch: With both feet pointed forward, one leg is extended out to the side. Opposite leg bends until the inner thigh of the straight leg is stretched. The foot of the straight leg stays flat on the floor. Hands rest on bent leg for balance and support. Back stays straight through stretch.
a. Calf (lunge) Stretch:
b. Hamstring Stretch:
c. Sitting Hamstring Stretch:
g. Groin Stretch:
h. Standing Quadriceps Stretch:
i. Inner Thigh Stretch:
around the UEFA Euro 2008 and came up with various plays and exercises, which we divided into 6 zones: the ‘Warm-up zone’, ‘Goalkeeping zone’, ‘Tactical zone’, ‘Finishing zone’, ‘Mixed Zone’ and ‘Best Goals zone’.
WARM-UP ZONE
Dutch Quick Feet Organization: -
4 poles lying on the ground about 1 meter apart Cone positioned 10 meters after the last pole 5 areas marked 1-5 as illustrated Players line up in front of the first pole
Progression: - Player 1 starts with both feet (R-L) in area 1 and steps over pole 1 to area 2 - In area 2 he steps (tip-toes) right-left-right-left (R-L-R-L) and back to area 1 - After placing both feet in area 1 he steps with both feet into area 2 and onto area 3 - In area 3 he steps (tip-toes) right-left-right-left and back to area 2 - After placing both feet in area 2 he steps with both feet into area 3 and onto area 4 - In area 4 he steps (tip-toes) right-left-right-left and back to area 3 - After placing both feet in area 3 he steps with both feet into area 4 and onto area 5 - He then sprint (10m) to the cone and jogs back to join the back of the line
Swedish Team Warm-up Organization: -
1 area marked with cones Area size: 10 x 30 meters Divide the team in 3 groups (A, B and C) Each group is between the 4 and 7 players 2 groups (A and B) are on one of the short sides of the area and the other group (C) is on the other short side
Progression: - Group A starts to run towards the other side - When Group A arrives Group C is up and runs to the other side - When Group C arrived Group B is up and runs to the other side
Variations: -
Run backwards Sidestepping Jump in the air and head the ball Sprinting Contest: player who finishes last has to (for example) sprint 4 x 30 meters
Suisse warm-up Organization: - 4 cones are positioned 10 meters apart - Players split up in 3 groups and line up behind the cones - Coach on the side giving signs
Progression: - At coach’s sign players execute the following running drills (from cone 1 to cone 2, from cone 2 to cone 3 from cone 3 to cone 4): – Swinging arms – Explosive sprint – jog – High Lunges – Explosive sprint – jog – Hip rotations – Explosive sprint – jog – Side stepping – Explosive sprint – jog – Jump and head – Explosive sprint – jog
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GOALKEEPING ZONE Romanian Goalkeeping Organization: - 3 goalkeepers - 1 trainer with a ball
Progression: - Goalkeeper starts at the cone and sprints to the first post - After touching the post the goalkeeper has to save a short from the coach - The coach is positioned at the penalty spot - The 3 goalkeepers rotate
Dutch Goalkeeping Organization: - 1 goalkeeper on goal (GK 1) - Coach in the middle at the edge of the penalty area - 2 other goalkeepers positioned outside the penalty area as illustrated (GK 2 & GK 3)
Progression:
GK 3
GK 2
- Coach passes to GK 1, who passes back to the coach - GK 1 moves to the corner of the goal to receive a shot from GK 2 (who is on the same side of the goal) - GK 1 saves the shot and immediately moves to the other goalpost to save a shot from GK 3 - 3 times per goalkeeper - Then switch goalkeepers (GK 2 in goal, GK 1 takes GK 2’s position)
Portuguese Goalkeeping Organization: - Goalkeeper starts in the middle of the goal about 1 meter of his line - Coach is positioned on the end line just outside the penalty area - 2 other goalkeepers are waiting on the end line on the other side of the goal
Progression: - Goalkeeper 1 (GK1) starts by short sprint to the near post - Coach cross the ball high into the penalty area - GK 1 has to touch the goalpost and run out of the goal to where the ball will drop - GK 1 jumps up to catch the ball and joins the back of the line - GK 2 will take position - 5 times for each goalkeeper
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GOALKEEPING ZONE German Goalkeeping and Attacking drills Organization: -
1 Goalkeeper on goal 1 coach, positioned just outside the penalty area 6 attackers line up at the cone, as illustrated 3 defenders
Progression: - Attackers (A1) are located with their backs towards the goal behind defender 1 (D1) - Coach passes the ball just behind the attacker, who turns , cuts around D1 and shoots on goal - D2 and D3 are positioned in front of the goalkeeper, limiting his view of the ball - Goalkeeper saves and the next attacker starts - High pace - 6 shots, then switch goalkeepers
Turkish Corner Goalkeeping Organization: -
Goalkeeper in goal 6 defenders in penalty area 6 attackers just outside penalty area 1 corner taker
Progression: - Player 1 takes the corner kick into the penalty area - Attackers all run into the penalty area - Goalkeeper must jump up and catch the ball
Croatian goalkeeping switch Organization: - 2 goalkeepers in goal - 2 coaches, each coach 2 meters to the side of the penalty spot
Progression: - Goalkeepers start in the middle of the goal, next to each other - Coaches bounce the ball on the ground, which is a sign for the goalkeepers to start their move to the opposite side of the goal (crossing each other along the way) - After catching the ball again, the coaches throw the ball simultaneously into the high corner of the goal - Goalkeepers save the ball, throw the ball back to the coach and take position again
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TACTICAL ZONE Romanian 9 v 2 Organization: - 22 players - 2 squares marked with cones - Size of square: 15 by 15 meters
Progression: - Play a game of 9 v 2 inside both squares - In the first square the starting 11 will play 9 v 2, in the other square the substitutes will play 9 v 2 - Start with a maximum of 2 touches - The objective is to train playing in small spaced with high handling speed
Variation: - 1 touch play
Spanish 4 v 4 Organization: -
16 players Area: width of the penalty area by 35 meters 4 teams of 4 players and 2 goalkeepers Duration: 10 minutes
Progression: - Teams play 4 v 4 with goalkeepers - Play on possession with intend to finish on goal - May only finish after a cross
Italian 1 v 1 / 2 v 2 / 5 v 5 Organization: - 10 players (starting players) - Field: penalty area with 2 large goals (on both sides) - 5 teams of 2 players - Coach with balls positioned at the edge of the box - Duration: 10 minutes
Progression 1: - First team starts by playing 1 v 1 (coach brings ball into play) - Players try to beat the other player and finish on goal - After a shot, goal or steal the other player asks the coach for a ball and tries to score on opposite end 26
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- After both players have both attacked and defended the next 2 players enter the field
Progression 2: - After 10 minutes start playing 2 v 2 with goalkeepers - Same 5 teams, only now the players play together against the other teams
Progression 3: - After 10 minutes the field size is increased (goal is moved half way between half-way line and penalty area) and a game of 5 v 5 with goalkeepers is started
TACTICAL ZONE Swedish 6 v 2 Organization: -
16 players 2 squares marked with cones Size of square: 5 by 5 meters Play a game of 6 v 2 inside all squares Duration: 10 minutes
Progression: - Play 6 v 2 on possession - The 6 players are positioned on the edges of the square as illustrated and are only allowed to move about 1 meter to each side - 2 players try to steal the ball (only valid when they control it) - 1 touch play
Greek 4 v 1 up to 7 v 7 Organization: - 20 players
Progression 1: - 4 squares marked with cones - Size of square: 5 by 5 meters - Play a game of 4 v 1 inside all squares - 1 touch play - Duration: 5 minutes
Progression 3: - Move to 1 half field - 2 teams play 7 v 7 with goalkeepers - Third team plays 4 v 2 in 5 by 5 meter area - Duration: 3 x 10 minutes
Progression 2: - Move to 3 bigger squares: 10 by 10 meters - 2 teams play 5 v 2 - 1 team plays 4 v 2 - 1 touch play - Duration: 5 minutes
Standard 11 v 11 Organization:
Variations:
- A regular 11 v 11 on a half sized pitch - All national teams practiced 11 v 11 at some point leading up or during the tournament in very similar ways. Below you will find the variations on the 11 v 11 SoccerCoachingInternational was able to spot
-
Progression:
-
- The starting 11 are playing a game against the substitutes (free play)
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Limited to 2 touch play Man-to-man defense Zone defense Everyone has to be across the halfway line in order to score Can only score after a cross from the flanks No shots outside the penalty area (combination play) Limited number of passes before finishing on goal Only shots from outside the penalty area (second ball / rebound play)
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FINISHING ZONE Orange Finishing Organization: - 2 cones positioned on each side of the arch of the penalty area - 1 player at each cone - Other players lined up behind cones 3 and 4 approx. 3 meter in front of cones 1 and 2
Progression: - Player 1 passes to player 2, who drops the ball to his left for incoming player 1, who finishes on goal (with his right foot) - Player 1 takes player 2’s position - Player 2 gets the ball and joins the back of the line - Same on other side, but shooting with left foot
Spanish flank attack with finish Organization: - 7 Attackers - 2 defenders - 1 goalkeeper
Progression: - Player 1 passes to player 2, who drops it back on incoming player 1 - Player 1 immediately passes deep on player 3, who initiated a run to the end line - Player 3 receives the pass and crosses the ball into the penalty area - Player 4 and 5 make their run into the penalty area when the cross is given - Player 4 receives the ball and finishes on goal - Defender execute passive pressure on the attackers in the penalty area - Play start again with player 1 on the other side (with players 6 and 7)
Greek Finishing
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Organization:
Progression:
- 8 v 2 with 1 goalkeeper - Full field - 8 players set up a quick attack starting from the back - 2 defenders only defend penalty area - Player 1 is positioned just in front of his own penalty area - Players 2 and 3 are positioned on the right side (at the half way line) - Players 4 and 5 are positioned on the left side (at the half way line) - Players 6, 7 and 8 are positioned just outside the opponents penalty area
- Player 1 passes to player 2 or 3 - Player 2 initiates a give and go with player 3 (or player 4 with player 5) - Player 3 back passes into player 2’s run - Player 2 dribbles to the end line and crosses into the penalty area - Players 6, 7 and 8 move into the opponents penalty area when the cross is given and try to finish on goal - Defenders (red) distract, guard and defend
FINISHING ZONE Russian Finish Organization: - Wingers positioned at the corner flags on each side - The remainder of the players are positioned around the centre circle - 1 goalkeeper
Progression: - Player 1 passes the ball to the winger, who is already in position - The winger controls the ball with 1 touch and cross it into the penalty area - Player 1 and player 2 run towards the goal. Player 1 to the near post, player 2 at the far post. - Player 2 finishes on goal
Coaching - Good pass - Good control - Right position in front of the goal
French Finishing Organization: - 3 players approx. 3 meters in front of the discs (on each side of the field) with balls - Remainder of players just before the middle circle
Progression: -
Winger dribbles to the disc Forward stays behind the ball and jogs towards his next position Winger cross just before the penalty area Forward finishes on goal Forward gets his own ball and joins the back of the line at the winger’s old position, the winger joins the back of the line at the forward’s old position - Duration: 20 minutes
Coaching: - Good passing - Good finishing - No resistance
Spanish Finishing Organization: -
8 players and 1 goalkeeper 6/8 positions are occupied by two players to ensure continuity Half field Duration: approx. 20 minutes
Progression: 1. Midfielder passes to left or right winger (the exercise shows the exercise executed along the right side) 2. Winger asks and comes to the ball 3. Winger receives pass and passes to one of the 2 strikers 4. Winger goes deep 5. Forward passes to midfielder 6. Midfielder passes deep (high) to the winger 7. Winger dribbles to end line and at the same time the strikers run towards the penalty area 8. Winger crosses into the penalty area 9. Strikers cross one another and enter the penalty area 10.One of the strikers finishes on goal
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MIXED ZONE Romanian 11 v 11 Organization: - A regular 11 v 11 on a half sized pitch
Progression: - The starting 11 are playing a game against the substitutes. - The number of touches is limited. It starts with a maximum of 2 touches.
Purpose: The way Romania is training points out a defensive way of playing, because they are focusing on playing with little space available. It was shown in the way they played the group matches with a strong focus on the defense and try to limit the space available for the opponent.
Italian Hurdle run Organization: - 3 cones - 4 hurdles - Players with a ball lined up behind cone 1
Progression: - Player 1 starts by dribbling the ball to hurdle 1; he lightly passes the ball under the hurdle and jumps over himself. Same execution with hurdles 2-4 - After the fourth hurdle player 1 dribble around cone 2 and cone 3 and dribbles back to join the end of the line - Player 2 starts when player 1 has reached hurdle 4, etc.
Portuguese Goalkeeping Organization: - 2 goalkeepers are positioned in the goal, one at each goalpost - Coach positioned left of the penalty spot - 3rd goalkeeper right of the penalty spot
Progression: - Coach throws the ball (chest height) to goalkeeper 1, while goalkeeper 3 throws the ball to goalkeeper 2 - Goalkeepers 1 and 2 save, throw the ball back and switch positions - At new positions they immediately receives a low shot from the coach (on goalkeeper 1) and goalkeeper 3 (on goalkeeper 2) - They save, throw the ball back and switch positions again - 5 times - Then goalkeepers 1 and 3 in goal - 5 times - Then goalkeepers 2 and 3 in goal
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MIXED ZONE Dutch 6 v 6 Organization: -
6 v 6 with 5 neutrals Field size: 20 x 20m 4 neutral player on the edges of the marked area 1 neutral player in the field (Robben)
Progression: -
1 touch play Neutrals play on both teams Objective: possession 4 minutes then switch neutrals When ball is out of bounce, the coach passes a new ball into play High pace Duration: 20 minutes
Turkish 5 v 5 Organization: - 5 v 5 with goalkeepers - 3rd team on side line waiting - Field size: as illustrated
Progression: -
Team blue plays team yellow for 5 minutes After 5 minutes team white plays, team blue is out Every team plays other 2 teams 2 times Total duration: 30 minutes
Dutch recovery training Organization: - Robin Van Persie is recovering from an injury - 10 cones, positioned as illustrated
Progression: - 3 different runs, as illustrated - Each 3 times
Coaching: -
First time: jog Second time: run Third time: explosion Quick turns
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MIXED ZONE German 1 v 1 Organization: - 4 teams of 5 players - 2 small goals positioned on each side of the center circle in between the penalty box and the center circle (approximately length of the field: 50 meters) - Width of field approximately: 25 meters - Team 1 (purple) and 2 (yellow) are positioned on the right side of their respective goals
Progression: - Player 1 from team 1 starts by running to the half way line and finishes on goal - After the shot, player 2 starts his dribble and plays 1v1 against player 1 and tries to finish on goal (with goalkeeper) - After the shot, next player from team 1 starts his dribble and plays 1v1 player from team 2 and tries to finish on goal (with goalkeeper), etc. - Players from teams 3 (blue) and 4 dribble (red) around the field with a ball waiting for their turn - After all players from teams 1 and 2 have played, teams 3 and 4 play and teams 1 and 2 dribble around the field
Swedish passing Organization: - 5 teams of 4 players each - Cones 1 and 2 are located approx. 20 meters apart directly across from one another, cones 3 and 4 are located in between cones 1 and 2 directly across from one another and slightly of to the side (as illustrated) - Players 1-4 are positioned at their respective cones
Progression: - Player 1 passes to player 2, who receives the ball and passes to player 3 - Player 3 receives the ball and back passes to player 2 - Player 2 receives the ball and passes to player 1 - Player 1 receives the ball and passes to player 4 - Player 4 receives the ball and back passes to player 1
Variations: - 1 touch - Increase / decrease distance between players
Dutch passing Organization: - 10 players - 6 positions - Positions 1 and 4 are both occupied by 3 players
Progression: - Player 1 starts the exercise by passing to player 2; he follows his pass about half way down to player 2’s position, receives the pass back from player 2 and immediately passes to player 3. Player 1 takes player 2’s position - Player 3 receives the pass and immediately passes to player 2, who back passes into player 3’s run, player 3 receives pass and passes to player 4. Player 2 takes position 3 and player 3 joins line at position 4 - Player 4 receives pass and passes to player 5, who back passes to player 4, who then passes to player 6. Player 4 takes position 5 - Player 6 receives pass and passes to player 5, who back passes in the run of player 6, who in turn passes to player 1. Player 5 takes position 6 and player 6 joins the 32
No. 27 June/July 2008
MIXED ZONE Croatian Finishing Organization: -
Half a field Coach 1 positioned in middle circle Coach 2 on flank half way down the field 1 winger 2 attackers
Progression: - Coach 1 passes to winger 1 - Winger 1 dribbles down the flank towards the end line. He is defended along the way by coach 2 (C2) and needs to beat the coach on the dribble - Once he reaches the end line he crosses into the penalty area, where players 2 and 3 try to finish on goal with goalkeeper
Russian crossbar challenge Organization: - Players line up just outside the penalty box - 1 by 1 they shoot, aiming at the crossbar - When they hit the crossbar the ball will bounce back and the player will finishes on goal
Variation: - Increase / decrease distance
Russian foot-volley game Organization: - Players play game of foot-volleyball - Field size: approx. 15 x 7m - Play 3 v 3
Progression: - First team who gets 5 points wins and stays on, the other team is replaced by waiting team (referees)
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BEST GOALS GOAL 1 Match: Portugal – Germany Phase: Quarterfinal Goal: 0-1 Schweinsteiger 22’
Description: - Podolski passes the ball to Lahm who passes it back - Podolski makes the same combination with Ballack - After a sprint down the side line he crosses the ball low to the near post - Schweinsteiger ends a 40-yard sprint with a sliding finish at the near post
Focus: - Quick passing - Quick transition - Stamina
GOAL 2
Match: Netherlands - Italy Phase: Group stage Goal: 0-2 Sneijder 31’
Description: -
Van Bronckhorst cleares a ball of the line after an Italian corner Van der Vaart controls the ball just outside the box and passes into van Bronckhorst’s run After a sprint down the side line van Bronckhorst crosses the ball to Kuyt who hits it back Sneijder finish it with a brilliant volley
Focus: - Good crosses - Quick transition - Good overview
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No. 27 June/July 2008
BEST GOALS GOAL 3 Match: Sweden - Russia Phase: Group stage Goal: 0-1 Pavluychenko 24’
Description: - Anyukov passes the ball to Arshavin who is positioned at the right side line - Arshavin passes to the running Zyryanov down the right side line - Zyryanov passes the ball inside the box to the sprinting right back Anyukov - He finds Pavlyuchenko with a short pass - Pavlyuchenko hits the ball in the left corner
Focus: - Quick passing - Running midfielders and defenders
GOAL 4 Match: Portugal - Turkey Phase: Group stage Goal: 0-2 Raul Meireles 90+3’
Description: -
Joăo Moutinho gets the ball from the winger in front of the goal With a brilliant turn he blocks the defender and the keeper He is free to pass the ball to the upcoming midfielder Raul Meireles Raul Meireles shoots the ball into the empty net
Focus: - Quick turning - Quick transition - Good overview
GOAL 5 Match: Sweden - Greece Phase: Group stage Goal: 0-1 Ibrahimovic 67’
Description: -
Ibrahimovic controls the ball with his chest 30 meters from the goal He passes the ball to Larsson and starts his run towards the goal He receives the ball from Larsson Ibrahimovic finishes with a superb right foot kick in the left upper corner
Focus: - Shooting technique - Quick passing
No. 27 June/July 2008
35
The complete soccer coaching experience
SOCCER COACHING International
SPECIAL
The world champions under new management:
More eclectic players and more tactical options Italy reached Euro 2008 after topping a group that included France and Scotland. The world champions started the qualification stages badly, drawing at home to Lithuania and losing away to France. But nine wins out of the next 10 games saw them through comfortably. Once the Serie A season was over, Italy’s preparations for the ‘Group of Death’, which includes France, Holland and Romania, could take shape. They consisted of: - A week’s training at the federation’s technical centre in Coverciano, near Florence - A friendly match against Belgium - A week’s training at the team’s headquarters in Austria By: Frank Dunne
36
No. 27 June/July 2008
Tactics, fitness and mental strength
The 4-3-3 and its many variations
On most days, between 25 May and 7 June, Italy trained twice, at both 10.30 in the morning and again at 17.30 in the afternoon. Although Italian teams at all levels work a lot on tactics in the training sessions, coach Roberto Donadoni does not believe that tactics make the difference in tournaments like Euro 2008. He is convinced that the physical and mental condition of the squads, and especially of the key players in each team, is the decisive factor. “You’re playing at the end of a long, heavy season in which there has been one big match after another. Whoever arrives the freshest has a major advantage. A national team coach does not have time to completely overhaul the physical condition of the players. The best you can do is some maintenance work and try to manage the workload.”
Donadoni’s tactical approach could be described as a flexible 43-3. The physical power of Luca Toni at centre forward gives Italy the option of varying between a short-passing game and using early long balls for the striker to hold up and bring other players into the game. In training, Italy worked on both solutions.
Mental strength is nearly as important as a player’s physical condition and it is one of the characteristics of teams with a lot of experience of playing at the top level, Donadoni argues. It enables teams like Germany, France, Brazil and Argentina (and he could have added Italy) to win games when they are not playing their most fluent football. “In the World Cup, the finalists play seven games in a month; in the Euros they play six games in 21 days. This means that you can’t always play as you want to and sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and pull out your last drop of energy.” Like most top coaches, Donadoni argues that the characteristics of the players decide the tactical formation and that a coach should not try to impose a fixed idea on the group. “When I started coaching at Lecco, I wanted to try 4-3-1-2 but given the players I had, I ended up playing a 4-3-3. The following year, at Livorno, I would have continued with 4-3-3 but I didn’t have the right players, so I opted for 3-4-3. For the national team, I have to call up the best players, those who can give the most to the cause, and only then can I think about the tactical formation.”
With the number of creative players Donadoni has at his disposal the system can modulate – even during the same game – between a classic 4-3-3, with the other two for wards keeping wide, a 4-3-2-1, with the two for wards tucking in behind Toni, or even a 4-3-1-2, with one player operating as a playmaker behind two forwards. The 4-3-2-1 is generally regarded as Donadoni’s base formation, as it gives better support to Toni. Players like Camoranesi and Di Natale are capable of beating a player in a one-on-one situation, but neither is a natural winger. Both will usually cut inside having beaten an opponent, rather than head for the goal line to pull back a cross. Other options which Italy tried out in training included a 4-1-4-1, with Roma’s Daniele De Rossi in the holding role in front of the back four and a 4-2-3-1 system, with De Rossi and Pirlo in front of the defence and three creative players behind Toni. Donadoni said that the tactical work had to be put in beforehand, to allow variations according to how opponents play and what occurs during a game. He said, for example, that while he had always used a back four when qualifying, he would not rule out switching to a back three if the situation required it. Andrea Pirlo said that the current Italy squad had more tactical options than the Italy which won the World Cup. “The team is very strong, at more or less the same level as the 2006 team. But we have a lot of different solutions in each area of the field, more than in Germany, because we have players who are more eclectic, more creative, more technical and who play with more fantasy.”
No. 27 June/July 2008
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Italy 3 – Belgium 1 A comfortable win in this friendly in Florence suggested that Italy’s preparations were going 3:1 well. Donadoni began with a 4-3-2-1 formation (Diagram 3), with Mauro Camoranesi and Di Natale playing off Toni, switching in the second half to a 4-3-1-2 system (Diagram 4), with Camoranesi as a trequartista behind Del Piero and Toni (who was later replaced by Marco Boriello). Di Natale scored two goals as part of an impressive all-round performance while Pirlo appeared to be at his magisterial best, directing operations from midfield.
Exercises In training, Donadoni concentrates mostly on the possession phase. “Most of my exercises are designed around when we have the ball. I get them to repeat time and again the movements, the forward runs, the overlaps. That doesn’t mean, however, that we overlook the defensive phase.” Like Holland coach Marco van Basten, Donadoni played under Arrigo Sacchi at AC Milan. Sacchi revolutionised Italian football with his emphasis on intense pressing and attacking football. His training sessions were noted for the almost maniacal degree to which players had to repeat moves so that they appeared to occur spontaneously in games and Donadoni was clearly heavily influenced by this. In Exercise 1, one of the full backs takes the ball early from goalkeeper Gigi Buffon and plays a diagonal ball down the middle of the pitch to Toni who lays it off, in this case to Antonio Di Natale, who then has several attacking options, including: (1) an early shot on goal; (2) a cross for Toni; (3) slipping a low ball through the back four for Toni or the other forward to run on to.
Exercise 1: Long-ball solution
Exercise 2: Short passing with overlap
38
In Exercise 2, a midfielder plays a onetwo off Toni, before slipping the ball through to one of the wide forward players. He in turn lays it off to another midfielder who looks to pick out the run of an overlapping full back. The three forward players then attack different areas of the box and wait for the cross.
No. 27 June/July 2008
Diagram 3: Italy’s 4-3-2-1 formation
Diagram 4: Italy’s 4-3-1-2 formation
Pirlo had been given a free role, rather than his usual berth just in front of the back four (Diagram 5). When he moved forward, either Gennaro Gattuso or Alberto Aquilani, or both, tucked in behind to cover for him (Diagram 6). Pirlo was the architect of Italy’s World Cup win in 2006 and has been the creative pulse of the successful AC Milan side. As a consequence, many opposition coaches have taken to man-marking him. After the Belgium game Pirlo said that the team had been putting into practice one of the main ideas of their training sessions: the continual interchanging of positions between players in midfield,
Diagram 5: Pirlo’s starting position
Diagram 6: Pirlo covered
and also upfront, to deny the opposition an obvious point of reference. “These are things we have tried in training when we simulate match situations. They’re useful when you have the opponent right on top of you. It happens to me a lot at Milan and I’m proud that I get so much attention. It means that the opposition is afraid of me.”
Disaster: the captain hobbles out of Euro 2008 Every great team has a strong spine and Italy’s central spine of Buffon-Cannavaro-Pirlo-Toni was the bedrock of the team’s World Cup success. It was also one of the main reasons that Italy were among the favourites coming into the 2008 tournament. But on 2nd June, a week before Italy’s opening match, disaster struck. Fabio Cannavaro suffered damage to his ankle ligaments in a routine challenge with central defender Giorgio Chiellini, putting him out of the competition. The injury would have no bearing on the tactical formation – Donadoni would keep a back four, with Chiellini, Marco Materazzi and Andrea Barzagli to choose from at centre back – but it was a massive blow to morale. Cannavaro was the team captain and a natural leader both on the field and in the dressing room. None of his replacements can match his reaction speed over short distances, which is often crucial in snuffing out danger in the goal area.
The coach and his staff As a player Roberto Donadoni won pretty much everything. A product of the youth set-up at Atalanta, he moved to AC Milan in 1986 where he was a key player in the team that that won five Serie A titles, three European Cups, three European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. He played 63 time for Italy, representing the country at the World Cups of 1990 and 1994. However, when he was appointed to replace Marcello Lippi in 2006, his CV as a coach ran to just three lines: a season with third-division Lecco, a season with Livorno, a season with Genoa and another half a season with Livorno. Donadoni’s coaching staff is made up of two assistant coaches, Mario Bortolazzi and Sergio Buso, fitness coach Giovanni Andreini, goalkeeping coach Ivano Bordon, observers Giampiero Ceccarelli and Agostino Pecorario, medical staff Andrea Ferretti and Paolo Zeppilli, physios Aldo Esposito, Antonio Pagni and Mario Ruggiu, and head of delegation, Luigi Riva.
Donadoni said that the FA had put together a “very competent and well-integrated” staff. During the qualification cycle they got together in Rome once a month. “Every one made their own suggestions because in a staff like this everybody has ideas to contribute, there is always an open discussion. As head coach I have to maintain relationships with the medical staff, the observers and everybody who works for the team,” he said. In March, he got together everybody connected with the trip to Euro 2008, right down to the kit staff, to explain what kind of behaviour he wanted. “I asked them to smile, to be always positive when dealing with the players. I know as a player that in these long periods when everybody is together, it is important that the environment is optimistic and transmits calm. It can help the player to find reserves of energy he didn’t know that he had.” Donadoni made some surprising choices ahead of the tournament, the kind of choices that could leave him open to heavy criticism if Italy failed. First, he arranged only one friendly match, against Belgium, in the preparation stages while most of the teams who qualified played between two and five matches. Second, he called up Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano. Nobody doubts Cassano’s ability – he is perhaps the most naturally talented Italian player – but his fiery temperament, abuse of referees and arguments with team mates have always made him something of a liability. “It’s not a gamble,” Donadoni insisted. “Cassano isn’t 16 or 17 any more. He knows that this is a great opportunity for him and he knows what it means to be part of this group”. With their best defender missing, Italy were going to need some inspiration upfront and Cassano, if he could keep his head, looked worth the gamble. Sources: This article is based on four main sources: the magazine Il Nuovo Calcio, newspapers La Repubblica and La Gazzetta dello Sport, and the website of the Italian FA.
No. 27 June/July 2008
39
Euro 2008:
Interesting
Group winners
Free kicks An interesting fact after the quarterfinals was that only one group winner, Spain, survived the quarterfinals. The other group winners, Croatia, Portugal and the Netherlands, were all knocked out by the runner-ups from the group stages. These teams were all secured as group winner after just two matches and played the last group match with their second team. It seemed logical to award the starting players some rest after a long season. But was it a smart thing to do?
The only one who scored from a direct free-kick was Michael Ballack. Daniele de Rossi also scored from a free-kick, but this wasn’t a direct free-kick. Also corners and indirect free-kicks weren’t as successful as we have seen in previous tournaments.
Referees In general the level of the referees was very good. Only the decision to award Austria a late penalty to level with Poland in the group stage was discussed heavily. Another remarkable decision was the withdrawal of the second yellow card awarded to the Russian player Kolodin. He received a second booking for a foul committed on Sneijder in the quarter final against the Netherlands. But because the assistant referee saw that the ball had passed the back line the yellow card was withdrawn.
Passing When you look at the team that has the most completed passes in a match it is no surprise that Spain is on top. Their match average is much higher than the number two, the Netherlands. The game Spain is playing is based on short passes; they almost never give a long ball.
Remarkable
Vastic
In the match between Austria and Germany both coaches were sent to the stands. Joachim Löw of Germany and Josef Hickersberger from Austria both had an argument with the fourth official. When walking towards the stands they shook hands and searched an empty chair. Because of his sending off during this match Joachim Löw was suspended for the quarter final match against Portugal. He watched the match in a skybox. Afterwards he said the biggest advantage was that he was allowed to smoke there.
With a goal from the spot against Poland Ivica Vastic crowned himself as the oldest scorer on a European Championship ever. Vastic is 38 years old and plays for LASK Linz in Austria.
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No. 27 June/July 2008
facts & food for thought Goalless
Disciplinary
Only two matched ended in a goalless draw. Romania versus France, the first match in group C, ended in a 0-0. Also the match between Spain and Italy in the quarterfinals ended in a goalless draw, even after extra time.
With 16 yellow cards and 1 red card the Turkish team has by far the worst disciplinary record. Sweden has the best disciplinary record with an average of only one yellow card a match. In total only 3 red cards were given in 31 matches.
Attacking play Many teams were playing to score goals. Teams as Portugal, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain are the best examples. They tried to have possession and put pressure on the opponent. Teams like Romania and Sweden were in the position in which they would have progressed to the next stage with a win. Both teams failed to change their style of playing and never played like they wanted a win. Maybe they don’t have the players to play like this, but both coaches didn’t try anything with their substitutes. They brought on a striker for a striker! Neither team made it to quarter finals.
Great substitution In the semi-final against Russia Luis Aragones was facing a problem. His top striker David Villa had to be substituted with an injury. At that time it seemed as a huge disappointment, but his replacement Cesc Fabregas turned the game around. After his entrance Spain gained control on the midfield and the Russians weren’t able to cope. With some brilliant plays from Fabregas Spain beat the Russians with 3-0.
Switzerland
Boulahrouz
With a win in the last group match against Portugal Switzerland won their first ever match at a European Championship. In both 1996 and 2004 they weren’t able to win a game. With two goals of Hakan Yakin they beat Portugal and ended the Championship in a positive way.
The Netherlands were facing a problem you can’t prepare for. The daughter of Khalid Boulahrouz died 1 day after she was born. Boulahrouz wanted to stay with the team and received all the support he needed. This happened a few days before the quarter final match against Russia. Boulahrouz wanted to play and he played like he did the entire tournament. Most players on the Dutch team are young fathers who were extremely shocked by the bad news. After the wins against Italy and France the team involved their wives and kids in the celebrations and a few days later Khalid suffers this loss. Did this have an effect on the morale of the team?
No. 27 June/July 2008
41
Ranking the Euro Top 3’s Best player of the tournament:
Superlatives
Best Defenders:
Xavi Hernández
Most surprising team(s):
1
Carles Puyol, Spain
2
Yuri Zhirkov, Russia
Russia & Turkey
Most disappointing team(s):
3
Best Coaches:
Portugal & France Pepe, Portugal
Best Midfielders:
1
Luis Aragonés, Spain
1
Xavi Hernández, Spain
Best match:
Croatia vs. Turkey
2
Guus Hiddink, Russia
2
Andrés Iniesta, Spain
3
Fatih Terim, Turkey
3
Wesley Sneijder, the Netherlands
Greece vs. Sweden
Best Goalkeepers:
1
Poorest match:
Best Forwards: Edwin van de Sar, the Netherlands
1
David Villa, Spain
Best referee:
Peter Fröjdfeldt
42
2
Iker Casillas, Spain
2
Roman Pavlyuchenko, Russia
3
Artur Boruc, Poland
3
Lukas Podolski Germany
No. 27 June/July 2008
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Swedish National Team:
“The importance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic�
The Swedish national team qualified for EURO2008 by winning eight games, drawing two and losing two in their qualifying group. The preparations for Euro 2008 were good despite some injury problems. When the squad was presented in May the great news was that Henrik Larsson was back. With his routine and experience he could bring stability to the team. By: Christer Olsson
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No. 27 June/July 2008
TRAINING SESSION Swedish poles
Sweden always plays in their usual 4-4-2 system with Lars Lagerbäck at the helm and they continued to do so during the group stage of the tournament. In the opening game against Greece Sweden played disciplined both in attack and especially in the defense and, according to Lagerbäck, the team played out the pre-determined tactics in an almost perfect manner. The second game against Spain was quite another game. The first half Spain played great football and Sweden was well-organized, the 1-1 result mirrored the first 45 minutes. In the second half Zlatan was replacement by Markus Rosenberg and Spain were the ones who decided on the field. Spain scored the 2-1 late in the second half, for a deserved win. A good first Swedish half and a second half that reinforced the importance of Zlatan Ibrahimovich. In the third match against Russia Sweden needed at least a draw to become second, however Russia played fast and attractive football and Sweden was unable to get a hold of the game. Lars Lagerbäck's side approached the finals with a degree of caution that has almost become their trademark in recent years and, in the end, were undone by two opponents for whom the best form of defence was attack. The root Swedish side’s problems lay in their inability to control or dominate the game and their inability to create goal scoring opportunities. Out of all the Euro 2008 participants they came in last with the amount of shots (a total of 33 shots in 3 games, with only 11 on target). Lagerbäck's knew this would be a problem, as they were having problems scoring goals leading up to the tournament. It therefore came as no surprise to see witness a training session that was focused on scoring goals. Their top player Zlatan Ibrahimovic had not scored a goal for the national team since December 2005. Next you will find 3 exercises from that Swedish training session:
Organization: - 30 poles - Players line up in a row
Progression: -
10 of the poles are put into the ground in a course The players have to run thru these poles at high speed The other poles are put on the ground Players have to run this course without touching the poles at high speed - The poles on the ground are put down with a variation in the space between the poles, this way the players have to focus on where to put their feet.
Swedish finishing
Organization: - 13 players (9 in front of the goal, 4 on the wings) - 2 goalkeepers on a regular sized goal - 7 cones placed at the location of the players (A t/m G)
Progression: -
-
Player A passes the ball to B who passes to C C passes the ball to D, who passes to E E crosses and players A, B and C try to finish on goal Player A will run to the far post, player C to the near post. Player B will end up in front of the goalkeeper After shooting on goal the players A, B and C are replaced by 3 other players These 3 players will play along the other wing The players on the wings switch places after a cross. So in this case player D will give the next cross from the right wing After each attack the goalkeepers switch places
No. 27 June/July 2008
45
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My fridge is stocked with an assortment of lager, indeed it looks as though I am having my very own Euro 2008 with bottles and cans from Holland, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. I also have a cupboard full of unhealthy snacks and have booked the TV for every evening over the next two weeks, much to the annoyance of my wife. From the relative comfort of my sofa, there are a few springs sticking up in odd places, I have seen a lot of positives for both coaches and football fans from around the world.
By: Paul Cooper
Reasons to be cheerful
Why Euro 2008 has lived up to expectations and beyond Attacking football
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So many tournaments in the past have been spoilt with negative tactics and one has watched far too many teams play with little ambition. Euro 2008 has seen a return to attacking football with flair and exciting play. A good example of this was with the Netherlands winning 4-1 against France in the 90th minute, they streamed forward for another attack. Van Nistelrooy received the ball on the right hand side and could have easily gone to the corner flag to waste a few more valuable seconds before the final whistle. But Ruud passed to van Persie, who found Sneijder whose move resulted hitting a terrific shot past Coupet in the French goal for number four. I only hope this type of attacking, fun football filters
No. 27 June/July 2008
down into children’s grassroots football which can so often be negative and lacking in the spirit of the game. We all too often blame professional football and TV for showing negative images of the game to children, but we must also embrace the positive images that have filled our screens in the last few days.
Never give up Turkey has had two extraordinary games against the Czech Republic and Croatia. They pulled back a two goal deficit to win 3-2 with two goals in the last minute and then when Croatia went 1-0 up against them in the quar ter final, in the last minute, they must of surely thought they were dead and buried, but again with the last kick of the game the game equalised
and went on to win on penalties. It goes to show what you can do with a strong belief and a never say die attitude. You never know when you are beaten so it is a message to all teams, be positive and play until the final whistle. It only takes a second to score a goal
picked for their size. The game is littered with players that have been cast aside because they are told they are too small. Well small is back with a vengeance and an array of shorties, who are often also the playmakers. Modric, Deco, Xavi and Sneijder would be excluded from some U10s teams they are so short!
The return of the playmaker
Positive coaches
We have not seen enough playmakers in international football. It always used to be the number 10. Some of the great playmakers included the likes of Plattini, Hagi, Cruyff and Puskas to name a few. Football has been getting a little too functional and all about team shape, physique and stamina. To see players such as Sneijder, Modric and Arshavin pulling the strings in midfield, using vision, guile and cunning. Seeing these marvellous craftsman at work has been a big plus in the game and hopefully will rub off on coaches further down the ladder and let the players in their charge express themselves much more. Good ball players used to be ten a penny; every team had one at all levels, a return to that would be a significant step forward.
As well as playing attacking football, in the main the coaches have been positive about team selection and also the use of substitutes. A number of times substitutions have changed the course of the game and have been used before it becomes too later. In some games coaches have used all three substitutes before the hour mark. Holland used all their outfield players in the first three games which focus the whole squad’s minds to the task at hand.
Let’s hear it for the little guys You need a balance in a team, but in modern football you often seem teams of giants, and that has been especially true in academies. Even in junior grassroots football, often players are
Building from the back Good to see the majority of teams play the ball from the back and roll it out to a defender. This has been a return to football as it should be played. Positive, exciting and dynamic play has ruled over the two weeks. Some of the defending has been poor and the attackers have certainly outshone the defenders, but I think for football’s sake that is not always such a bad thing.
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EDITORIAL
No. 27 – June/July 2008 SoccerCoachingInternational is a magazine for soccer coaches all over the world from the publisher of TrainersMagazine, the Dutch magazine for soccer coaches. The Magazine will be released six times a year. Chief editor Paul van Veen Beatrixlaan 21, 2811 LZ REEUWIJK THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: paul@soccercoachinginternational.com Publisher Sportfacilities & Media BV Visiting address: Steynlaan 19 B-D ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS Postal address: P.O. Box 952, 3700 AZ ZEIST THE NETHERLANDS E-mail: info@soccercoachinginternational.com Phone: +31 (0)30 697 7710 Fax: +31 (0)30 697 7720 Project Manager Floris Schmitz f.schmitz@sportfacilities.com Managing Editor and Translations Maaike Denkers maaike@soccercoachinginternational.com
Editorial Staff Paul Cooper, Maaike Denkers, Tania Dimitrova, Anton Gouverneur, Tom van den Heiligenberg, Christer Olsson, Jan Soek, Paul van Veen, Hugo Vicente, Rien van Wolfswinkel Photographers: Tom van den Heiligenberg Jan Soek Subscription Rates You can subscribe to this magazine through its website: www.soccercoachinginternational.com. The subscription rate are as follows: US and CND subscribers: $49,95 for the first year ($59,95 for years thereafter) UK subscribers: £28,50 for the first year (£33,95 for years thereafter) Subscribers from the rest of the world: € 49,95 for the first year (€ 59,90 for years thereafter) You will receive six magazines per year and access to all subscriber features on the website. This publication is purchased with the understanding that information presented is from many sources for which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher as to accuracy, originality or completeness. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering product endorsements or providing instruction as a substitue for appropriate training by qualified sources. SoccerCoachingInternational assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Copyright All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
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