Welcome to the
Soccer Newsletter. Today's issue will deal with how to react defensively
when an opponent has beaten you on the dribble in the defensive half of the
field.
First of all, I have had some
e-mail difficulties so anything sent to
comments@finesoccer.com
for the past three days or so has been temporary lost. To be safe, I would
appreciate it if everyone could resend any e-mail to me. Thank you.
The initial reaction defensively
when a player is beat is to immediately chase the player who beat you.
However, if you can't catch the person in the first two steps, you should make a
full sprint directly toward the near post. By doing this, you will be
taking the most direct route to the area that the player with the ball is most
likely going so this will increase your chances of catching this opponent.
Furthermore, if teammate is in a good position to step up and become the first
defender, you will be going to the area to provide proper support.
One of the keys to making the quick
decision regarding whether to provide immediate chase of the ball or to head to
the near post is to listen to the support behind you. This is an area
where proper communication becomes vital because any hesitation in this
decision-making process will dramatically increase the chances of a goal scoring
opportunity for the opponent. As soon as the beaten defender hears a teammate
say that she has ball (really meaning that she will assume responsibility for
the person with the ball) that would let the defender know to make the run for
the near post. If the supporting defender doesn't make this call, then the first
couple of steps should be directly at the opponent in order to try to catch her.
When you first try to make your
recovery run toward the near post, it will feel a bit awkward but you will be
amazed at how well it works. Try it in training once and you will do it
for the rest of your playing career. This is actually one of the easiest and
best habits to break so start the next time you are on the field.
