TIP FROM
THE PROS: Playing
and Thinking Quickly
February
2002
Brought
to you by Williams F.C. and Bascome's Pro Soccer School.
The following diagram taken from the June 21,
2000 match between Chicago and D.C. United,
illustrates the importance and effectiveness of playing the ball
quickly and thinking ahead.
 
Frame
1
Dema
Kovalenko (21) receives the ball just below midfield.
He sends a long pass in the air to Josh Wolff who is checking
towards him about 40 yards out form the opponents net.
Frame
2
Wolff
(16) recognizes Peter Novak (10) is in a position to receive a
back pass. He also realizes that the defender is marking
very tightly. Wolff lays a one touch pass into Novak and
immediately turns and runs into the space. Novak also
recognizes that the defender is marking Wolff very tightly.
He thus returns a one touch pass directly behind the defender into
the space.
Frame
3
Because
of the quick speed of play, the sweeper, who is in the center of
the defense, is unable to react quick enough to intercept the
pass. By the time he realizes the play, Wolff has already
received the return pass and is streaking towards the goal.
When he enters the penalty area, he hits a hard low shot to the
far post for a beautiful goal.
Frame
4
Novak
and Wolff's ability to visualize the play before it happened, (or
to think two steps ahead) resulted in the team being able to get
behind the D.C. defense and create a goal.
return
to Youth Corner
|
