I had an Indoor game last night and we were playing the top ranked team in our league. It was the last game of the season and they were undefeated leading up to our game. They were a lot younger than our team and all around they had better players. We played very hard and led most of the game, which shocked them a little bit. We could tell they were getting very frustrated and we continued to attack. It was a close game and we were up 3-2 with 2 minutes to play.
In our league when a team commits 6 fouls the other team gets a penalty shot, the shooting player can dribble and try and beat the goalie one-on-one. All of the other players have to be behind half field, but once the ball is touched they can rush down the field. So with 2 minutes to go, they commit their 6th foul. I was selected to take the kick by my teammates, I usually take them when I am in because I had not missed up until last night’s game.
I have the same routine every time, I touch the ball to the right to get the goalie leaning that way and then I rip a shot to the left. The goalie is always off balance and the left side of the goal is open. Last night I set the ball, the ref blew the whistle, I touched the ball to the right, the goalie did exactly what I wanted him to, I ripped my shot and watched it bounce off the wall right next to the goal. I tried to recover and get the ball back, but their team had recovered and stopped any attack we had. To make matters worse it proved to be a turning point in the game as the momentum turned in their favor. They scored 2 quick goals to go up 4-3 and we lost the game by a point. I could not apologize to my team enough after the game, and I am still frustrated about my shot.
It was one of those moments where I wish I could try the shot again. I have hit a ton of those penalty shots, and I don’t know how I was so far off. I will use it as a learning experience and make the rest of them from now on.
What do you do to prepare for your penalty shots? I feel it is important to have consistency and do the same thing every time, I would be interested to hear the different things people do to prepare for a penalty shot. Leave a comment and share what works for you and how we can all improve on penalty shots.
I finally had a game after 2 weeks off, and of course I came down with the flu 2 days before the game. I was not feeling well at all yesterday, but I still wanted to see if I could play despite not feeling well. I got ready for my game and headed out the door. When I got there I could see we had enough guys there so they didn’t really need me, but I wanted to play anyway. I played one of the best games I have this season. I had a couple of assists and several stops on defense. Our team won, it was a great game and I was very glad I went.
Our team has struggled this year and this was the first game we really played well together and got the win. Granted it was only our third game of the season, but we usually do really well all season so the first 2 games were really frustrating. It felt good to win, but it felt better to watch good ball movement and communication amongst our team. It made me wonder; What motivates soccer players to play better? We have the same guys every game, but it seems one week they don’t care to do things the right way, then the next week they are motivated to play better. I don’t understand the mentality of players that quit once they are down. I will play as hard as I can when I am on the field the whole game no matter what the score is. I don’t need external motivation, I just love to play the game and don’t want to miss a chance to play. I have noticed some guys on my team do better when certain girls are in the stands watching, some players do better when they are mad, some players do better when a coach or teammate calls them out.
What is it that motivates you as a soccer player. I think every player is different so I would be interested to hear what motivates you. Leave a comment and let us know what you do to get motivated to play your best in a game.
I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old. I was one of the youngest guys on the team and I had no idea what I was doing. My brother’s played as well so I had seen a lot of soccer, but it was a lot different playing myself. I was told to play defense and so I went back and stood on the line for the goalie box and didn’t move. I would move laterally across the line, but never in front or behind it. For some reason I thought that playing defense meant I could only stay on that line and not go anywhere else on the field. I have come a long way since than and I have learned a lot about playing defense.
We all know that we don’t have to stay on the goalie box line when we are playing defense, but what are the limitations of a defender? How far can he go up before he is going to be in trouble on a counter attack? I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this. The best defenders I have watched usually act on their instincts. In indoor soccer I have seen defenders lead the league in scoring because they know when to go up and shoot and when to stay back and defend. A general rule of thumb is to make sure one person, usually the sweeper, is watching to make sure everyone will be covered in the event of the opposing team’s attack. A great sweeper will communicate a lot on the field and direct the defense with the goalies help.
A great team communicates well and moves together well. It takes unselfishness from everyone to be able to move together. When a defender makes a run from the back it is someone elses responsibility to move back and cover for him. This is what seperates good players from great players. Good players will continue to move up and go for the goal even if a defender is making a run. A great player will look out for the whole team and cover the defender while he makes the run. Having a defender move up from the back to attack the goal can be a great strategy and can pay off well if everyone moves together. Also, that is a lot of ground that the defender will cover. The defender will be tired and that is another reason why it is important to help out.
Great teams are willing to share the glory with each other. I have seen good players struggle on a team because they wanted the glory for themselves and did not even look how they could help their teammates. Keep your head up and plan your next move. Don’t always look straightforward, look back and see what you can do to help your team. Not only will your team improve, your coach and teammates will love playing with you because of this simple idea.
Please share your comments so we can all improve our game!
Roberto Baggio is my all time favorite soccer player due to his field management and his ability to score. He had some incredible soccer skills and played his hardest every time he stepped on the field. I play the same positions as Roberto Baggio and I learned a lot of the things I do from watching him through the years. He controlled the midfield better than almost anyone that has played the game and when his team needed it he was able to step up and score.
I know many people will point to his miss on the penalty kick in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil and say he wasn’t a good player. One play can sometimes define a player, and his miss in the World Cup probably defined his career. It is unfortunate that one miss can overshadow a career of brilliant moves and fantastic finishes. He will always be my all time favorite player and a big reason is because of that miss in the World Cup. If you remember correctly he probably should not have been playing at that point in the game. He had severe cramps and the only reason they left him in was to take the penalty shot. He was a tremendous competitor and I appreciate the respect he had for the game. Enjoy this video of Roberto Baggio and remember him for the great plays he provided!
Here is a soccer tip for you today in honor of Roberto Baggio:
Always remember to lean over the ball when you are taking a penalty kick, or any other shot on goal!
I graduated from college with a Bachelors degree in Speech Communication. Needless to say I view communication as an important part of our lives. Communication can separate a good team from a great team. It is very important that your team communicates well with each other.
When I was playing recreation soccer I had a coach implement keywords to help us communicate on the field. They seem silly now, but at the time they were very helpful in teaching young soccer players to talk to each other while playing. The main word we were taught was “Peanut Butter” If you heard someone yelling that it meant you had a backwards pass available. As I grew up playing soccer I learned the value of communicating as a team. There should be constant chatter on a team to help each other in certain instances. Your team can use simple directions or alerts, such as ‘man on’ and ‘turn’ or ‘you have time’ to make playing so much easier. Good communication becomes more important as the game speeds up at higher levels. Great teams always communicate well with each other and help each other to know what is going on and what plays are available.
Not all communication is good for a team. I know this sound counterproductive to my statement that communication makes great teams. Communication is effective when it is positive and influences players to do well. There is a difference between yelling to another player and yelling at another player. It is important to make sure you are heard as you give direction to your teammates, this is yelling to another player. When you yell at another player you become a negative influence on the team and impact your team in the worst way possible. I have played with players that have a tendency to yell at their teammates and I will do whatever I can to encourage them to keep it positive. If they can’t keep it positive and continually yell at teammates you will find they don’t last on teams very long.
I was recently on a team that yelled at each other a lot, I would discuss it with the team and they would keep it positive for a little bit, but eventually would start yelling again. I eventually quit the team because it is not fun to be on a team like that. I was frustrated after games and we did not play to the potential we were capable of playing due to the negative feeling on the team. It is not beneficial for anyone to have those players on the team. If you are one of those players that is constantly yelling at your team, knock it off. You may hurting your team’s chance of ever being a great team. If you are on a team with someone that yells at your teammates a lot then talk to the player and possibly the coach about the problem. Taking care of the problem will result in a better environment for players to learn and be successful on the soccer field!
Tips for effective communication on the soccer field:
Communicate with your team and you will improve and grow as a team.
Use positive communication with your teammates.
Use keywords to tell your teammates what is going on and what plays are available to them.
Get rid of negative comments towards other players on your team.
Have fun and enjoy the greatest sport in the world!
Watch the impressive skills these two players possess! They are incredible and they move so effortlessly as they move around defenders! These are great defenders that look like amateurs against these 2 guys. I will continue to post videos of some of the greatest players in the world so you can watch what they do and try some of their moves. I would not recommend trying these moves for the first time in a game. Make sure you use your practice time to try these moves and make sure they are perfected before you pull them out in a game. The Brazilians have always had amazing footwork and these two guys are some of the best! Enjoy this video and continue to come back as I will continue to post different videos with great players featured! I will also feature different soccer styles that can be found around the world.
I had an interesting indoor game last night, we lost the game by 2 points and it was a close and very competitive game. We started a little slow and they went up 1-0 in the first five minutes. We calmed down a little bit and scored three straight goals to take the lead by 2. In my honest opinion I feel that we had the better players and the better team. With about 10 minutes to go in the half we had a player obviously foul a player on the other team. The ref called the foul and my teammate threw a fit and threw the ball and started yelling at the ref. This resulted in a 2 minute penalty. It wasn’t even a close call, or a questionable call. The ref made the right decision to give him a 2 minute penalty and our team suffered. They scored during the penalty time and momentum had shifted for them. They carried that on and eventually beat us 7-5. We were playing a very aggressive style when we took the lead and when the player on our team received the 2 minute penalty we were forced to play back and conservative. This action resulted in a loss for our team in a game that we should have won.
If the ref calls a foul on you in a game and you disagree, do not throw a temper tantrum on the field. Ref’s are usually pretty reasonable and they will discuss the call with you if you would like. Calmly confront the ref and ask what the call was for and tell him you disagree and maybe in the future he will see it your way as well. You only hurt yourself and your team if you throw a fit in the middle of a game. If you get thrown out then the rest of your team is forced to play the game different than they had prepared for. Keep your cool and take it easy on the refs. Not only does throwing a fit hurt your team, it is childish and immature. I am always impressed while watching certain players play and seeing the respect they have for the game. I love to see a team pass the ball back to the other teams goalie after an injury has occurred and the opposing team kicks the ball out to stop play. Sportsmanship makes the game fun for everyone involved. I was extremely frustrated with our player throwing a fit after the call because it was a selfish move and cost us a winnable game. Play smart and keep your cool! I would love to hear any comments you have had during games where bad sportsmanship hurt your team. Also I would like to hear stories about good sportsmanship and how it has helped you enjoy the game more!
Now you can kick a soccer ball like a professional soccer player with this great soccer video - Blast The Ball! Learn the proper technique and form to control your kick and gain the maximum power from your kicks! You will be able to pass more precisely, shoot better and become a more rounded soccer player! This video is great for coaches to use as a teaching tool, or for players that want to gain the advantage over players their age. Make sure to order Blast The Ball today so you can start kicking like the Pro’s!
These are some of the craziest soccer goals I have ever seen! I can’t believe how some of these goals are scored, a little luck, but mainly it is being in the right place at the right time. It is important as a soccer player to play with your instincts and be in the right place at the right time. This is something that is developed through years of playing and studying the game. When you start thinking several plays in advance you will be able to beat the competition! Enjoy this video and remember to play smart!
This last week we had some great weather and I was able to get out and play some outdoor soccer. There is no better feeling than playing outside for the first time after a long winter! For all of you that live in warmer climates you are lucky you can play outdoors all year long, but you will never be able to experience the thrill of playing outdoors again right after the snow has melted. We laced up our boots and headed to a park and played for several hours and it was a blast! It was around 45 degrees outside and we felt like we were in heaven. I realized I am in desperate need for some new cleats so I will be checking out Adidas and ordering some new Copa Mundials. I hope everyone enjoys their spring soccer! We have tried to organize pick up games every Saturday morning the past few years, and I would recommend for everyone to do it in their neighborhoods as well! If I am not posting as much you all know I am probably out playing somewhere!