Mullen vs. AHS
Home game (Navy all the way down)
V@4 on the varsity soccer field
JV@4 on the Northwest 40
This game is right after school, so come get snacks and be ready to warm up by 3:20.
Varsity Release: 2:20 - Team meeting at 2:45.
Arapahoe Strengths:
This is a strong AHS team who is storming through league. They are undefeated, and we are the only thing standing between them and a league championship. I can not emphasize how hungry they are going to be for this game. We have encountered a number of teams this season who feel as if they have a score to settle with us - they want to right things in the pecking order - and that is why teams are coming after us so hard in league this year. That is true for AHS more than anyone else. Last year, we beat them on their senior night, we took away their number 1 5A position, they are going to be out for blood, and they are going to come hard and fast from the first minute. The psychological dynamics in todays game are fierce. Expect a hard fighting AHS right from the start. If we do not come out jazzed, ready, and focused, we are going to be on the back foot quick. Be aware.
As always, AHS remains incredibly athletic, fast, and direct. Essentially they will just look to throw the kitchen sink all game long, and they won't let up. This direct play has resulted in a handful of opportunistic moments. They beat Creek on a long shot from outside, they beat GV on an insane shoss into the back corner during overtime, and beat CT by just barreling forward into the goal.
They will send long balls, they will shoot from everywhere, and they will come fast. This furious style of play often overwhelms opponents and gives them the upper hand
*In the game of soccer you must always meet fury and chaos with structure. Today we need to be disciplined, hit our marking assignments, and close down shots (not dive in). This should be able to stifle a lot of the AHS forward dynamic.
Finally, on a tactical note, AHS historically has played a 4-3-3, but they will occasionally send a midfielder out wide between the OB and the Outside Striker. We can absorb this pressure by sending a midfielder out to match, but we also just have to make sure to be underneath the ball as AHS attacks. Our winger can also absorb the drifting midfielder and pressure. When he comes back inside, he needs to be passed off, and the winger needs to reassign to the OB. Keeping our structure regardless of their movement will be paramount.
AHS weakness:
This AHS team is not as prolific as last years team from an attacking threat perspective. They have squeaked out some wins, and they have been relatively lucky. In other words, they aren't dismantling teams in the way they have historically. The goals they are scoring have come from just grinding, capitalizing on mistakes, and finding some luck in open moments. This tactic has landed them high in the 5A polls, but we can combat it by staying clinical and closing down players.
If we can limit our mistakes, we limit their opportunities, and we can keep them out of the back of our net.
-make sure that our match ups are good on corners and set pieces
-don't allow for mistakes to compound. If you make a mistake, close down the player and stop forward progress. Allow us to reset and get shape.
Additionally, closing down players will be elemental. AHS likes to shoot, and they are good at it. Close down (don't dive in) and take away their opportunities.
Also - please read this brief section from last years MR - it remains relevant:
"AHS is afraid of change - and sometimes that doesn't matter (12 wins is a lot) but it is also prevents them from being really great. What we care about though is the fact that their predictability makes them vulnerable. If we are strong in the middle of the park, if we close down shots, and if we don't make mistakes in the back, AHS won't score. They won't find another way, and they won't change to seek it out. If we do the right thing tonight, we can lock them down.
Their outside backs are their weakness. Conservative play allows for the building of momentum, and it forces players into one on one situations. Much like our strategy against Eagle, we want to isolate the outside backs and take them on. We want to attack in the middle of the field only when we are directly in front of goal. Take on the outside backs, bang the base line, and bring the ball across the middle.
Their recovery systems are poor. When their left outside back attacks, the six does not drop to cover. If we can create a turn over and counter in behind the outside back, we can create opportunities on goal. Additionally, their wingers/strikers do not really defend. (That might prove different against us than it did against some of their other opponents - CT definitely had to track back) But outside backs need to get involved in the attack. It will either create 2 on 1 scenarios or force their strikers to make insane runs out of the back field, either of which is advantageous."
Set pieces:
(Corners)
1 - Low driven ball to the near post. Two attackers crash the near post, other attackers fill in the middle and back post.
2- Short corner overlap. Attackers cover near, middle, far - slight delay on the run in.
3- short corner choice. The players taking the corner will choose to overlap or take on the player. Attackers cover all positions, and delay runs in.
Jolly - Bend it in the goal. Attackers cover all locations, especially back post. Anything that goes long should be headed back toward goal.
Bumblebee - cluster around the goalie inside the six. Ball should be played into the cluster.
White - Chipped ball to the near post flicked across the goal. Remember, initial runners attack the near and far post and bounce off. When the front post runner bounces off the near post, the ball should be played and the remaining attackers should be making runs toward goal.
Blue - Long ball to the back post. Like "white" runners should bounce off the near and far post, but this corner will be played long to the back post. The back post runner should then play the ball back across the middle of the goal for the finish.
7- We set up in 2, but play a long ball out. That ball is then played back to the 2 or a penetrating run is made into the box. Fire the ball on an inswing to the back post and look for the player crashing on the opposite flank.
Snake - this essentially "1" but higher. Two runners near the top of the box, even with the near post, and a group of runners at the top of the box even with the far post. All runners complete an "x" route. Near post both attack the far post, while one runner goes to the corner on a diversion run. The ball is played on the ground, left by the first runner and struck first time by the trailing runner.
11 - Three runners at the near post, two at the back. The three runners circle around to the near post, middle, and far post, while the two at the back make direct runs across the goal.
Reminders:
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 AHS 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.
Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment