Welcome to the Soccer
Newsletter. Today's topic is the defensive positioning of the forwards and
midfielders in a high-pressure defense.
I am going to discuss this
with the assumption that the team is playing a 4-4-2. The reason I
typically use this formation in my example is that I do believe it's the most
commonly used formation and also there is not much of a difference between this
formation and things like 3-5-1. I will write further about formations in
a later newsletter.
If the keeper has the ball for
the opposing team and throws it out to her right marking back, the nearest
forward to her on the defending team should make a run toward the ball that is
bent from the middle out. By approaching the ball at this angle, it will
force the opponent to take the ball down the line. This is exactly the
intended result. The main function of this first defender is to make sure
the ball does not get played back to the keeper or to anyone else that will
allow the ball to be switched around the back. The second forwards primary
responsibility is to go back and towards the middle to help clog up the middle.
As the opponent with the ball
approaches the sideline, which she will do thinking she has the forward beat and
not realizing that she is doing exactly what the defending team wants, the
outside midfielder will step up to double team the player with the ball. The key
here is that the outside midfielder can't step up until she is told there is
coverage behind by either the marking back or a center midfielder. When
this coverage is there and communicated, the outside mid steps into the double
team and the covering player steps to the outside midfielder on the opposing
team. At this point, the player with the ball can't go forward as the
outside midfielder is jamming that space. She also can't go to her left as
the nearest forward is taking away that passing lane. She can't go to her
right, as the sideline is too close. Her only two good options are to try
to split the two approaching defenders by passing into the middle of the field
or to kick the ball aimlessly downfield. In order to prevent a splitting
pass, the inside midfielders and
stopper along with the second forward who came toward the middle and back must
step to the nearest opponents to take away any option in the middle of the
field. Any attempted splitting pass should be negated this way. This
leaves only the long ball as an outlet for the player with the ball. When
all of this shifting is taking place, all of the backs must step up which will
allow them to compress the field and win any errant pass. By stepping up
(it's extremely important for the keeper to step up as well in order to handle
balls played over the defenses heads), all balls should be won or at the very
least the attacking players should be running in the wrong way in order to stay
onsides. The outside midfielder on the opposite team should be back and
toward the middle since there is no way for her mark to receive this ball.
This outside midfielder actually becomes a second sweeper (if the marking back
on the side of the ball is the one to step up to the outside midfielders mark,
the sweeper will have stepped over to cover her mark which means that it is
vital that the outside midfielder from the opposite side of the field get back
and offer defensive support).
If the opponent with the ball
is able to play the ball back to her keeper, both forwards must get back and to
the middle. Chasing the ball at this time is going to be most ineffective
and leave the team exposed. This is true unless there is an errant pass
back.
When the forwards make their
bending runs, they must do it at full speed but under control. Mistiming this
run can cause tremendous amount of chaos for her teammates so this must be a
controlled run. However, if the opponent has received the ball with her
back to the field then this would be a time for the forward amid outside mid to
take a chance and really run at this player since the chances of her turning,
finding an open player and successfully getting out of pressure are very slim.
Know when to take chances and when to be safe.
Their are two keys to
high-pressuring in the offensive third of the field. The first is to
practice it a LOT. Even more important is for there to be good
communication. If one player steps up and her teammates aren't
prepared for this, disaster will strike. With a lot of patience and good
communication, this is an extremely effective way of making the quick transition
from defense to offense.
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