Playoff Match Report: Mullen vs. Coronado (4pm @The Mullen Soccer Complex)

   Match Report: Mullen vs. Coronado @4pm - Mullen Soccer Complex

3601 S. Lowell Blvd. Denver, CO 80236

Things to do: 

Kits (This is a home game, we are dark), socks, nutrition (Remember that this is a 4:00pm game, you need to eat food and have snacks, take care of your nutrition, don't eat nothing.)

Prologue: Coronado is in the tournament as an auto-qualifier. They do not want to be playing you in the first round. What this translates to is one thing: Their coach has been reminding them all week that they have nothing to lose. He is telling them that they can become a Cinderella story: The team that beats Mullen. That they should just go for it! They will come into the game with this energy. We need to dissolve it immediately. Right from the start they need to know that we are faster, stronger, and more organized. Cinderella isn't going to the ball tonight.

Coronado Strengths:

Coronado has two impact players:

1. The player who plays at the 10 has a nasty left foot and he can strike a ball well. His movement is good, but he doesn't really trust his team. He will shoot from anywhere. This has both positive and negative qualities to it. Often times he finds himself shooting way out of position; however, that can get tricky because his opponents aren't expecting a shot and it can catch them off guard. Furthermore, if he get a hold of one, he can turn a banger. We have to be prepared to close him down at any point on the field. 

Additionally, the same player hits a nice left footed inswinging corner to the near post. This one corner has accounted for like 20% of the goals they have scored this season. It is tricky and elusive. Our front post guy needs to be focused and clear it out with authority. Coronado has shown that they can gather the trash in front of the goal and they are always looking to poach this corner.

2. One of their central backs steps well to the ball and isn't easily beaten. He plays well off his counter part, and they are inclined, for the most part, to form a diamond in the back in which one drops deep and the other steps to stop. When done right, they have been effective; however, the formation leaves a number of gaps through the middle headed toward the wings. It also provides no opportunity for recovery so the outside backs are forced into 1v1 situations constantly. We want to exploit this, move the ball wide, and take players on 1v1.

3. Lastly, Coronado wants to do the right thing. Their outside backs get involved in the attack, and they try to use the width well. We need to be organized to combat their attack.

Coronado weaknesses

As noted, our speed and strength is going to be a problem for Coronado. They don't have the size and athleticism that we have on our squad. 

However, where Coronado struggles the most is in their organization. They are not a cohesive as they need to be, and it creates big gaps between the midfield and their defense. This is primarily a product of the fact that they have a handful of players that seem to have their own agenda. They want to go it alone, or win on their own. Inevitably, this results in people out of position whenever the ball is turned over. We need to exploit these gaps. See the diagrams below.

In this image, the outside right back is carrying the ball forward, but the rest of the defense is not moving into position with him. This results in each defensive player being isolated almost 30 yards from their teammates. Additionally, the CB's are flat, and not in cover balance, so as you will see, the outside back will be forced to drop deep, thus allowing the winger and insane amount of space on the flank.  

When the ball is then turned over in the middle of the pitch, Canon City has 3 or 4 players that can move into the gap behind the midfield and in front of the defense. This gives them plenty of space to turn and attack the defense, and renders the defense unable to press or win any ball that might come through the middle. 

Instead of tracking the winger, the right outside back over corrects and drops deep in line with his weak side center back, this will then give the winger the ability to receive the ball in space, dribble into a 1v1 situation with momentum and eventually beat the outside back who is in no mans land.

*Take additional not of the staggered nature of the back line. The ROB should be elevated, and the RCB should be in cover. But because there was so much space between them initially, they are unable to make that correction and defend at the same time, so it is impossible to recover any organization.

The winger then brings the ball across the middle to the top of the 18 and instead of tracking runs, the two 6's fall into marking space, which allows the ten to step up and hit an unchallenged rocket into the right side netting. You'll also notice the the 6's have recovered flat which opens up the middle and leaves no one to step to the shot. Flat 6's are easily beaten by a through ball every time. 

This lack of cohesion is Coronado's greatest weakness. We need to live in the gaps and pass the ball to feet as we transition through them. This will then open up a series of third runs on the flanks and through the middle creating 1v1's on the outside and in front of goal. If we move the ball quickly, and directly, while still playing to feet, Coronado will end up chasing us all over the field. 

*One thing to note: Coronado seems to play deeper than Mesa Ridge, so I do not think we will be working against an offsides trap. We will need to be more fluid with our play instead of looking for one long ball to be the whole defense.

Mullen Strengths against Coronado

The most important things we can do today: 

• Hit our marking assignments with high pressure, especially on the wings. 
• Be dynamic and clinical on set pieces
• Not make any mistakes at the back - we can not be afraid to push a counter against Coronado, play forward and direct, but on the ground to feet or into runs. We do not need to make this a long ball game, that will play into their strengths.
• Trust the game, see what it is giving to us, follow its lead, and take your chances. 
• Recognize the value of every minute. NO PLAYS OFF!

Main Focus:

Capitalize in the final third

Counter quickly

Stay organized on defense

Keys to success: 

1. No mistakes out of the back. Smart decisions and smart passes that avoid the counter.

2. Exploit the space on the flanks and at the top of the box. Outside backs need to get involved in the attack. They should have space to move forward, and their attack will spread the midfield.

    -Outside backs need to dribble at the CHS full backs and then distribute the ball into space or feet. One/Twos around the defense will be very effective.

3. Know the set pieces. Capitalize on set pieces. If we can take advantage of these moments, we will have a great deal of success. 

4. Discipline and structure in the back. We need to hold position and recover for one another. 

5. When in possession of the ball in our defensive third, we need to play quickly, not get the ball stuck under our feet, and play into space instead of small spaces. It is a big field, don't fear the dynamic long ball.

6. Patience. We can't chase them all game. We will have to be okay giving up moments of possession in order to strike when the timing is right. Marking assignment and a high level of confrontation will be key!

7. We need to keep the ball out of the middle of the field in the central third. Swinging the ball quickly through the 6 and the 10 will open up the attack so that outside backs and wingers can serve. (See diagram above.)

Good luck!