Style of Play

Credit & accountability: we win together, we lose together

We play (and win) as a team. When we score, it is the whole team that helped create that goal. The defenders who won the ball, and passed it to the midfielder who switched the field to a forward who crossed the ball to his teammate and then shot...they ALL get credit for that goal! When we get scored upon, we don't blame the goalkeeper. The forwards who lost the ball without winning it back, and the midfielders who weren’t marking in the midfield, and the defenders who got pulled out of position or stabbed at the ball...they all share responsibility for the goal. Good assists are AS valuable as good shots on goal.

High speed of play

We play with speed. Football is a game where speed matters. The fastest thing on the field is the ball alone. The second fastest thing is a person without the ball, and the slowest is the person with the ball. Increasing the speed of the game means letting the ball run the field through passing, and movement off the ball. We don't take 3 touches if 2 touches are enough. We don't take 2 touches if we can make the play in 1.

We play strong

Win 50-50 balls, and pressure the opponent. We are aggressive, and attack the ball. We Don't give the other team an inch whether we are a forward or a defender. We are willing to play physically. We play at 100% until we need a break. Because we earned a break we ask for a break from the field.

Everybody Defends and Everyone Attacks

Every player on the team is a defender, and every player on the team is an attacker. Offense starts when the goalkeeper rolls the ball out to the wing. We build out of the back. Attacks are built with patience and possession. Playing the ball back in order to switch the point of attack of stretch the field is often the best decision. Defense starts when the opposing goalkeeper plays the ball. We press, drop off, force, and get in the DGC to win the ball and prevent being scored on. We become defenders the very instant we lose the ball, and the player who lost it is responsible for fighting to win it back as soon as they can!

Individually and collectively we take care of the ball

We focus on possession by utilizing 1-2's, overlaps, and drops rather than trying to dribble past 3 defenders. We dribble when we have space or 1v1 in our attacking half.

When defending: make play predictable

When on defense we want to force predictability, cut off angles, slow down attacks, force the other player to move where you want them to go.

When attacking: be unpredictable

Alternatively we want to be unpredictable in our attack. Change the point of attack when possible. Part of creating is moving. Don't hide and find the openings.

Don't play blind. Be safe and purposeful. If you can SEE opportunities to be creative, go for it.

Play What You Can See. No blind passes, or turning into pressure when you have a good and visible pass in front of you (even if you are facing backwards).

We have chosen soccer as our vehicle to help us prepare to be good citizens in life as adults.

Finally, and most importantly, we are playing soccer because it helps us become better people. The final score is not the most important part of the game. Playing our best, getting better as a player, treating both our teammates and the players from the opposing team with respect are what makes a game a success! "If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost!" -Zig Ziglar