GAME 4 : COACH's CORNER

ANOTHER LOSS, BUT A LOT OF LEARNING

Guys, here's my breakdown for the game:

The Good:
A lot of you were giving your best. You hustled, you played hard, and you didn't give up.

The Bad:
Lack of Communication. All the great effort went to waste, because no one was talking on field. On the bench you guys were like old friends.

The Ugly:
Substitutions were horribly done. People were waiting on the bench for minutes on end. Not only is this not fair, its disrespectful to your fellow team mates.

PLANS FOR NEXT GAME

Here are some improvements that we'll institute next game.

No positional subbing
By this point you should know your comfort zone. I want to allow people to move around. We need to shake things up. So I'm not designating players for positions except on the opening halves. Let's see what you can do.
Subbing was horrible. I had to wait seven minutes before I called someone off. You should be changing every 2-3 minutes. Another player I won't mention was off 10 minutes.

Formation:
3-3-0
Listen...I want to give us some leeway in deciding when to attack and defend.
In this formation, the Defenders act as defense (obviously) when the opponent presses. They switch to mid field on the attack.
Midfielders act as midfielders on the defense. They switch to forwards during the attack.

Passing:
One bad thing we're doing is not following the ball carrier.
When someone has the ball, I want there to be atleast two players to accept the easy pass.
For example:
Peter brings the ball up the side. Scott follows him to the side, keeping open for a pass. Anders assumes a position ahead. Baron slips behind for the option. It's simple. It's what we should be doing.

Communication:
Starting this game, start working on your verbal skills. Let players know if they're free and clear. If there's an opponent coming. If you're open.
So, adding to our passing story above.

The opponents are crashing our net!
Baron yells to Scott to cover a man. Ross notices an incoming and yells to Baron to cover the middle. Pass intercepted!
Pete yells to Baron that he's open. Baron passes and follows behind. Scott runs to the side, indicating that he's open. Anders fills in the front and says he's open. Pete passes to Anders. Abe and Chris are in the centre. Scott and Pete become Anders' options. Baron stays back to defense. Now Anders has a plethora of avenues. Does he lob it into the centre for a header to the twine, or does he pass to Scott for a blister?

OVERALL POINTS
Guys, we need to practice this every game. These very principles are what our own opponents are using against us.

IDEA
We need to practice more as a team, in a less competitive environment. I'm thinking that we should gather who we can and attend the free times at the Civic. Play as a team and practice. I'll get some times and let you know what's available.

STATS:
Anders (PK)
Scott (A)
Justin (G)

NET:
Ross (0-0-4) AVG: 6.75

Man of the Match
TBD