| Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation: The Key to Soccer Success at the International Level |
A Report from the Alliance of European Football Coaching Association
By Jeff Tipping, NSCAA Director of Coaching Education and Development
THE GERMAN GRAND PLAN
The message that Matthias Sammer, director of sports for the German Football Association (DFB), delivered to the rapt, albeit somewhat startled AEFCA members, was simple and direct. Second place in the men’s Euro 2008 and a semifinal place in the 2006 World Cup simply was not good enough for Germany. The only thing that will satisfy German ambition and passion for the game of soccer is to win every men’s and women’s World Cup and every Euro Championship, at every age group between now and 2031.
The Germans certainly did celebrate the Women’s World Cup success, and the attendees did enjoy a presentation from Steffi Jones, president of the Organizing Committee for the 2011 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Germany. However, the Germans already are planning to build upon the women’s success and address the “failures” of the men’s teams. They have a “Grand Plan” with comprehensive selection, education and training programs for children beginning with today’s three-year-olds – the group that will be representing its country in 2030 and 2031.
If we were to transfer the German “Grand Plan” to the United States, we would do something like this:
• Develop a nationwide playing system of 1-4-3-3 for under-18s and 1-4-4-2 for over-18s. (Yes, the “1” is important to include.)
• Train all American coaches of under-18s how to attack and defend in a 1-4-3-3.
• Train all American coaches of over-18s how to attack and defend in a 1-4-4-2.
• Develop 390 fully staffed, government-funded, regional training centers around the nation where skilled players are identified and receive intensive technical, tactical, physical and psychological training. Particular emphasis must be placed on developing technique under pressure.
• Develop a small army of professional youth coaches and coaching-education instructors who are responsible solely for the identification and development of young, talented players.
• Introduce special "soccer" grammar schools for players with talent.
• Make sure that all MLS and WPSL teams have fully functioning player development academies with professional staff consisting of field instructors and conditioning, psychology and life coaches.
• Devise a system for making sure that U.S. children in kindergarten and primary school receive more play and recess time for soccer and other sports and movement activities. Review fitness standards and testing for all children with an interest in athletics.
• Institute procedures for identifying and cultivating players with leadership attributes.
• Reinstitute standards of behavior, ethics and responsibility among our children.
To some the “Grand Plan” may reflect Sammer's roots in East Germany, where the all-powerful state system placed children in specified sports and trained them from childhood to be Olympic champions. Be that as it may, it is hard to overstate the commitment of a unified Germany to the sport of soccer, both materially and emotionally. This conference was a lesson in analysis and planning. There was meticulous attention to detail, implementation and evaluation. From Jorg Daniel’s goalkeeping presentation on angles and hand positioning, to Steffi Graf s preview of the 2011 Women’s World Cup, spellbinding video technology and an array of opulent, colorful, glossy printed material accompanied every German presentation. The conference delegates were introduced to a way of thinking and planning, a level of commitment and operational procedures that explain why, in the sport of soccer, second is just not good enough for Germany.
THE GRAND PLAN - THE KEY TO SPANISH SUCCESS IN EURO 2008
This conference was entitled “New Trends of Euro 2008 – Relevant to Grassroots” and the fact is that, long-term, highly organized and massively funded youth development programming is the key to international success for any country and was a major reason for Spain’s triumphs in the 2008 Euro Championships.
Dr. Gines Melendez Sotos, the U-17 Spanish National Team coach and the Director of the Spanish FA Training Center in Madrid, related how the Spanish dream to be champions of Europe began to crystallize in 2001 when they developed a team of national staff coaches, a national playing system and established clear objectives for talent identification, development and future performance.
The Spaniards forewarned the rest of Europe about their ambitions by winning, almost unnoticed, a series of U-17 and U-19 Euro Championships between 1999 and 2008. The starting Spanish team versus Germany in the Euro 2008 final featured 10 players who had won junior Euro Championships. Despite playing in front of sparse crowds and remaining unheralded by the European soccer community, these young Spaniards were being blooded in the art of playing, surviving and excelling at the international level. Indeed, among the voluminous amounts of video footage we were shown was a goal from a short and dark-haired 16-year-old Fernando Torres against the French. It was almost identical to the goal he scored against Germany in the 2008 final.
LESSONS FROM EURO 2008
Why are the Euros so carefully analyzed and followed by many non-European Federations in the international soccer community? Simply put, Europe has the most money, the most advanced soccer infrastructures and the most sophisticated coaching education programs of any FIFA Confederation. Both the Euros, held every four years and the UEFA Champions League, held every year, bring in massive amounts of money to UEFA, financially overshadowing FIFA – whose only source of income comes from the dues of the member associations and the World Cups. UEFA is, unarguably, the most financially solvent organization in the soccer world.
So, other than the fact that the best European Football Associations receive enormous funding and engage in intensive long-term planning, what other lessons are to be learned from Euro 2008? Here are some observations from the 10 staff coaches assigned by the DFB and from those National Technical Directors assigned to cover the Euros by UEFA Technical Director Andy Roxburgh:
Player Power
Successful teams have a corps of attacking players that can operate at high speed, under intense pressure and in increasingly smaller spaces. This continues to be the key to international success. The sparkplug creativity of the diminutive Xavi Hernandez of Spain and Wesley Schneider of Holland, the elegance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden and the wizardry of Luka Modric of Croatia are examples of the tremendous technical gifts that the best Europeans have. The Euros contained a surprising amount of fast end-to-end action, even though most of the participants were coming off extremely competitive European seasons. Hernandez covered more than 10,000 yards of running in the final against Germany. It should be noted that both Germany and Turkey had enlisted the services of American fitness specialists. The technical demands on back players are increasing as is the need for goalkeepers to be able to become attacking players. Goalkeepers in the Euro Championships used their feet seven times more than they used their hands. The message to American coaches is clear – technique, technique, technique – and don’t forget to include your goalkeeper with the outfield player exercises!
Systems of Play
The analysts reinforced the importance of shape and systems. Successful teams have a good balanced structure – disciplined in defending and flexible when attacking.
Variations of the 1-4-4-2, 1-4-3-3, 1-3-5-2 and 1-4-5-1 predominated with teams changing formations, for various games depending on the opponent, the players available and the game situation:
• Almost all the teams played with a zonal back 4.
• Most teams played with one or two, clearly distinguishable, holding midfield players. These players held their position in between the backs and the attacking midfielders and were responsible for dealing with counter attacks and securing the middle of the field.
• Most teams played with one striker with a “shadow” striker behind.
Counterattacks
Forty-six percent of the goals scored in Euro 2008 were from counterattacks. Teams are trained in the importance of the transition moment when the opposition is disorganized and defenders spread out and push up.
Examples of counterattacks:
• Classic counterattacks – They begin in the back third and end with a shot at goal.
• Collective counters – Ball is won in midfield and advanced at pace by a group of players against a disorganized defense.
• Advanced counters – Ball is won in opponents half and quickly moved forward as defenders are still running forward.
• Individual counter – Following a quick transition, a forward gets the ball and uses direct running with a solo finish.
As counterattacks become more important, the ability to defend the counter needs consideration and the following strategies need practice:
• Immediate pressure on the ball to win it back.
• Holding midfielders to screen the back players and slow down the counterattacks.
• Collective organization to force the opponents wide and delay until recovering defenders arrive.
Progressive Possession Football
If the counterattack was not an option, then teams played the ball slowly but progressively down the pitch. Players used short angled passes, combination play and, occasional, long diagonal balls to break down the defensive block. It should be noted that progressive possession play is different from simply playing “keep away.” The intent is to move down the field and culminate with a shot at goal or a goal. Teams played incisive passes through defensive blocks when the opportunity presented itself as in Xavi’s brilliant through pass to set up Torres’ goal in the final versus Germany. When players got past the midfielders they frequently accelerated and drove at defensive players.
Restarts
This was one of the cleanest Euros on record, in part because of a new “respect” initiative for referees from FIFA as well as the fear factor of giving away fouls in defensive thirds and giving opponents a free shooting opportunity. This reduced the number of goals scored from restarts. Only 16 goals out of 77 came from set plays in the Euro. Of the 319 corner kicks which were taken, only five resulted in goals.
Double- and Triple-Teaming
Attacking players were double-teamed more often than in other tournaments. This was possibly a result of having two defensive midfielders that could double back and tackle center forwards. Teams have developed the ability to force opponents into predictable areas of the field and then double-team and win the ball back and counter.
Lack of Time and Space
Defenses are becoming more compact and play is becoming quicker. Defenses are set up so that the players entice opposing attackers into areas of the field where counterattacking can be most effective.
LESSONS FROM EURO 2008 FOR THE AMERICAN SOCCER COACHING COMMUNITY
Planning for the future
If the delegates came away from this conference with one thing at the forefront of their minds it was the intense planning and analysis the Germans are constantly engaged in. This has implications for all of our soccer organizations, but none more so than our soccer clubs all around the United States. Directors of clubs must have a developmental plan for players in their club from a young age. We might disagree with Mattheus Sammer’s philosophy and drive to win even at a young age, but the fact that the Germans have such a detailed and thorough plan for the future should provide a challenge and an inspiration to all American Club Technical Directors. Club Directors must have a thorough understanding of the developmental and training issues of their players from ages 3 to 21. In addition we must develop a culture and a way of thinking whereby highly skilled and qualified coaches are assigned to coach the younger players.
The NSCAA has numerous, year-round, non-residential courses for coaches of young players and a Director of Coaching Diploma course which discusses the need for planning for youth development.
The management aspects of coaching also are thoroughly examined in the NSCAA Master Coach Diploma, a yearlong, independent study diploma, roughly based on the UEFA A License model.
Progressive Possession
It is important to delineate the difference between playing non-directional “keep away” games and possession games that have a direction. Keep-away games are, essentially, circular in nature and do not really go anywhere. Directional possession games give the players a direction and the ball is moved sideways or backward so that it can be played forward. Soccer is a vertical game and “penetration” is the first principle of attack. Possession for the sake of possession is acceptable only if a team is trying to kill time. Teams who have a commanding lead sometimes “call off the dogs” and keep possession so not to run up the score. Other than that it is a “north to south” game and our training methods should provide our players with the visual cues of when to pass the ball forward and when to pass the ball sideways. Diagrams I and 2 show two exercises that can help instill this instinct into players.
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