Mullen vs. ABK

 Mullen vs. ABK

Locations:

JV@ Arapahoe High School (2201 E Dry Creek Rd, Centennial, CO 80122)

Arrival - 3:30

Start Time - 4:30

Varsity@ Littleton Public Stadium (199 E Littleton Blvd, Littleton, CO 80121)

Arrival - 6:30

Start Time - 7:30

Notes:

For varsity this is a late game, so you need to be taking care of water and nutrition throughout the day. Eat a good dinner. It will matter. 

Both teams are white all the way down.

ABK Strengths:

1. Big Air - in the games I have watched, it seems like this is Arapahoe's biggest strength. They just constantly kick the ball away. This is a territorial brand of soccer designed to keep the ball out on a teams defensive third. And if played right, it can allow for counter attacks to materialize. It also puts pressure on the oppositions back line and keeper to be sharp. Lastly, it attempts to create throw ins and corners in the final third without potentially sacrificing a lot of territory in the back. If they continue on the trend they have been on, expect even more big ball than usual from Arapahoe tonight.

2. The girl who wears the number 10 - This girl rotates through the middle of the field, but she is talented in the attack. She dribbles well in space and she can shoot from range. We have to account for her on the counter, and we have to make her life difficult as she attempts to move forward. The other strength that she provides is that when ABK gets the lead, she then drops into a defensive midfield position and really cleans up anything coming through. This might even be her more natural position. So we do not want to be in a set of circumstances in which ABK goes into lock down mode to protect a lead. This will make them very difficult to break down.

3. The wings - although totally under utilized in previous games, ABK has some wingers who can dribble at speed! When Arapahoe chooses to move the ball around a little bit, they have the potential to be dangerous, especially as they exploit the width and bring the ball back across the middle. A couple of these runs are really what allowed them to get the winner on Trail. After they found it, they just sat in and cleared everything out.

4. Their goalie seems pretty sure footed and athletic. We are going to have to be brave and creative to score.

ABK Weaknesses:

Overarchingly, this is a very strong Arapahoe team. I think their only weakness is this:

They don't appear to be a particularly dynamic. In other words, they try to do one thing (and they do it well) but if it isn't working for them, they don't have a lot of answers to solve the riddle. You can see this in their results. In everyone of their loses, they have been held scoreless, and two of those were 1-0 games. You can always beat a team without an identity. We just have to stifle their advances and keep the ball out of the back of the net. Tonight you have to fight.

Mullen Keys to Success:

Like we spoke about the other day, our biggest key to success will be the discipline in our midfield. This week we play against two very strong number 10s, so our shape in the middle of the park with be elemental to our success. 

6s - Remember to look at the field like a cross section. As the strong side 6 elevates, the weak 6 needs to drop into the whole. This will allow us to cut off the counter and recover to the middle if Trail strikes out wide. The discipline to keep the shape is so important. Think: where am I when we lose the ball? 

*Also remember that this doesn't mean we can't make a weakside run, we just have to do it conservatively. Also - if we send the weakside 6 (which can be super dangerous in the attack) the strong side needs to drop in to keep the shape.

Additionally, We need to make sure that all players are pressed to their designated marks - this means outside backs need to press up and regain the ball high up the field. (We can't be in a situation where half the players are doing their job, while the other half stays dropped off - we will get killed in transition)

Lastly, we need to look for opportunities to advance, drop, and advance again. This will open up the defense and set up goals and set pieces. In transition, be smart, play good/smart passes, and take care of the ball!

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DON'T LOSE THE THROWER - RETAIN POSSESION ON THE THROW

Set Pieces:

Defending corners: 

Remember that when we are defending corners, we are in a man/zone hybrid. The zone marks are at the posts, and floating near the back of the six. Every other player should be marking an opponent. If there is no second taker, that player needs to drop back and pick up a mark, as does our nine if we are outnumbered. Purple = zone, Navy = man mark

Corners -

REMEMBER: When you are down in the attacking corner and trapped, play the ball off your opponent. We should be looking for moments to get throws and corners in the attacking third.

REMEMBER: We don't want to rush our corner kicks or set pieces. They are an invaluable part of our system and a great way to score goals. Huddle up before the corner to figure out who is going where and then execute your run!

Marcoux: This is an in swinging corner hit to the middle of the goal inside the second six (the space between the six yard box and the pk spot) runs should be made to the near and far post and the middle. Remember to send the ball back across the face of the goal at the far post.

2: This is an overlapping corner. The first player plays the ball short and then overlaps the second player who then lays it off. The initial player should then hit a curving ball to the far post (on goal) We need to crash the far post.

2 - option: If the defender over commits, the second player should beat them on the dribble down the line.

Bumble Bee: Create a hive around the goalie. The taker should hit an inswing ball in on goal. One player should break to the near post, and another should roll off to the back post. 

Blue: Two players bounce off the posts, the server plays the ball deep to the back post, and that player heads the ball back across the goal.

7: Line up like we are taking 2. Outside backs stay deep. Play the ball to the outside back, she plays it back to the second player, and that player swings it into the back post. When the initial ball plays, the weakside OB is sprinting to the back post to finish the shot. 

GATITO (Little kitties): On this corner, the server should send in a violent and volitile inswinging ball. We will then pump fake runs into the box, allow the ball to be served, and then crash the area where the ball is headed. On this corner, you are hunting down poor clearances or misplayed balls that land in the box. 

Lollipop: Three players at the near post, 2 players at the back post (our 9 plays the kitty and hunts at the top) The three players roll off to the far post, the middle, and the near post, while the two players in the back run across the face of the goal. The server hits an inswinging corner.

Good luck!

MRD