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 created 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 attacking players 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. Soccer is a game where speed matters. The fastest thing on the field is the ball when kicked. The second fastest thing is a person running 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 striker or a defender. We are willing to play physically. We play at 100% until we need a break. We let the coaches know when we need a sub.

Everybody defends

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. This is done with building an attack in mind. 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. Our striker, and forwards are in a good position to try to win those balls or force bad passes by pressuring the ball high on the field. 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

Because we want to possess the ball, we work on give and goes, overlaps, and drops rather than trying to dribble past 3 defenders. If you have more than 1 player defending you, there is an open pass somewhere, find it. On the attacking half, 1v1 should not be considered "pressure". If you find yourself in a 1v1 situation, go for it!

Final 1/3rd priorities; score, assist, unbalance and create together

If a player carries the ball for a few yards, especially if he enters the attacking 1/3 of the field, he should not be thinking of scoring all by himself unless he is behind the opponent’s defensive line. Instead, he should be looking for his teammates making attacking runs through the middle and at the back door. Most teams will shift towards the person with the ball, and leave his teammates open for a higher percentage shot on goal. Moving the ball from the right to the middle, to the left, and back and forth as we advance up the field is a good way to disrupt the opponent’s defensive shape and create seams. We call this “zig zag”.

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. If you bring a ball into the 18 from the right side, and you have a defender or 2 and the goalie tracking you, the best chance for a successful shot is probably a teammate on the left side of the goal making an attacking run.

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). "Flick-ons" and other fast pace attacks are great, but only if you've checked your shoulder and SEE the path first. When a ball is coming towards you and you want to let it run past, you need to look first (head on a swivel) to make sure there aren’t any dangers along that path. If there are, then you need to get a touch on the ball and change it’s direction.

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! Every game gives us an opportunity to become a better player, teammate and person.