Mullen vs. Smoky (2022)

 Mullen vs. Smoky Hill

JV/Varsity @4

Location -

JV (Northwest 40), Varsity (Varsity Soccer Field)

This is a home game so we are navy all the way down. There will be sandwiches in C5 for all players @2:45. Varsity has a team meeting at 2:45 as well. 

Preface: Smoky has had a tough run of games, and is currently suffering on a long losing streak. However, many of these games have not been lost by large margins, and they have shown well against Trail and Arapahoe. The longer we leave Smoky in the game (or if we allow them to get ahead) their confidence will grow, and they will play up to it. If we can press them early, play with intensity, and exert our dominance on the game, they are going to feel the sting of continued struggles. We have to extinguish their hopes quickly.

Smoky Strengths: This is a talented Smoky team, they have just struggled to get results this season. They start games with pace, press hard, and capitalize on opportunities. They are very direct.

1. High press: On film Smoky has shown the ability to close down quickly. For the most part, their pressing marks are accurate, and they do well to take away time. They will sometimes double up on players to win the ball back, and they are good tacklers. This is not a game to get cheeky on the ball. We have to move it quickly and favor possession to move them out of shape. They play a brand of street futbol that is hard tackling and thrives 1v1.

2. Technical ability: Smoky has shown to be strong technically, and they are good 1v1 on the attack. They move the ball wide over the top and look for quick switches to isolate their wingers 1v1 with outside backs. They are not afraid to take players on all over the park, and they will try. If we dive in an let them through, we will struggle, but if we contain and and force them to pass into our structure they will just give us the ball. 

3. Direct play: This is a tactically direct Smoky team, and they are good in transition. When they are effective, they are playing long switching balls from the CB's and OB's to the opposite wingers. This is not a team that plays long over the middle, they look for that switch and their front 3 do well to split the back line and cause problems.

4. Positional play in attack: I think that smoky's biggest strength is their positioning in attack. They have shown to be dangerous on the counter, but they flow well with the movement of the ball. Look at the two scenarios below:

In this first scenario, Smoky opened the scoring against fossil inside of ten mintues. They throw a strong counter forward at the fossil goal, and there is a melee in front of the net. The 11 makes a nice delayed run to the top of the box (blue arrow) but the weakside winger doesn't follow. As the ball pops out (red arrow) the 11 is able to regain possession and put it in the back of the net (sky blue arrow).

The failure to track him on the wing results in the goal!

In this second scenario, the Smoky CB plays a nice switching ball to the winger between the lines. He takes the OB 1v1 and beats him to a cross. SC is recovered well in the box, and the CB heads the ball out to the top of the 18 (red arrow). The Smoky 6 has again made a nice delayed run (Blue arrow) and he is unmarked. He strikes the ball first time (sky blue arrow) back into the side netting.

Smoky moves well with the ball and given time and space, they can be really dangerous. We need to keep our structure to be effective against this team.

Smoky Weaknesses: 

1. Smoky struggles in transition. When they have given up a lot of goals, it has been due to their inability to cover in transition. Consequently, they get super disorganized in the back. If we are creative with our attacking runs and we play the switching ball we should be able to find space in the gaps to get in on goal.

2. Their wingers are an essential part of the attack so our system of attacking outside backs should cause them a lot of problems if we are active. They heavily rely on these players to create offensive opportunities, so if they are forced to defend, it is going to radically impact their attack.

3. They have proven weak on set pieces, especially corners. If we are active and execute our corners well, we are going to give them a lot of problems.

Goal for today:

First league shut out.

 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 SHHS 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!