Mullen vs. Northfield

 Mullen vs. Northfield

Location: Mullen High School (3601 S Lowell Blvd)

JV@3

Varsity@5

Arrival for varsity at 4 - boots on by 4:15

Northfield Strengths

Northfield has a couple of players of interest:

1. Against Green Mountain, their outside left back was very impressive. She was fast and constantly involved in the attack. We need to make sure that our wingers are tracking underneath, especially on the weak side to account for her elevated positioning.

2. The girls who play the nine and ten are particularly good at exploiting the half spaces on top of the defense and underneath the midfield,. Our defensive midfielders need to see them dropping into that space and get tight and goal side of them. We can't be on top of our back line, but we need to be pressed to the dropping 9 and 10 in that space in between.

3. The girl who plays the 6 makes a nice delayed run into the space. She sits kind of deep and allows for the ball to be recycled back to her. However, she is really strong on the dribble so she then takes the space in front of her with momentum. She can be pretty devastating baring down on the defense from deep. And a lot of time she goes unmarked. We need to bring a 10 underneath to prevent her from gaining momentum in the gap.

Additionally, Northfield is an incredibly technical team. The play tight together and they move the ball around nicely between players. They are very patient in possession. We can't dive in, we just need to contain, stay disciplined, and keep our shape. If we are well organized, Northfield will struggle to break down our block and if we are well positioned, they will just pass the ball right to us.

Lastly, they have a very talented goalie. She is athletic and quick to the ground. We need to stay with shots and fight for everything in front of the goal. Her biggest vulnerabilities are corners and balls across the middle so we need to capitalize on those opportunities. 

Northfield weaknesses:

I can only see two real flaws in Northfield's season so far this year. 

1. They can be vulnerable in transition and to the counter. They're back line can get really high in possession, and sometimes a little disorganized. If we can bait them in with a middle and low block and then strike them on the counter in transition, we should be able to create opportunities in front of goal.

If we concede early, they are going to keep the ball and make us chase them down low. This is not a situation we want to be in. However, if we can find the first goal, it will blow the game wide open and allow us to continue to strike in transition. NO GOALS AGAINST.

2. Northfield has played a kind of weak schedule. Word on the street is that our league prepares us for big games. We need to come due on that today. I do not think that Northfield has seen a team that is organized like us or that can press like we do. A lot of their competition is weak.

We need to come out hard and hungry and we need to play to our strengths in this game. Our press needs to be fierce and we need to be clinical in front of goal.

Mullen Keys to success:

The biggest thing we need to do today is get under the ball and strike in transition. And we need to be fast when we do it. We can't get caught in these moments where we are taking too many touches and slowing the counter - we need to capitalize on it.

Additionally, we need to fight for this game. This is a top ten show down and a huge statement game. We need to be hungry and fight with everything we have for the win. That means working hard up top and finishing our opportunities.

Also - please look at this again because it will be relevant to today's game:

1. Being mindful of the Northfield attacking players in the half spaces. We need to know where they are at all times, make contact with them and stay tight in cover.

2. Everyone needs to get underneath and we need to close down shots.

We will look at this whole clip in our meeting today, but in this particular situation the CF drops into the half space between the midfield and defense where she receives the ball. As the 6s recover beyond her, she brings the ball further into space and then turns back toward goal. No one makes contact with her, no one stays with her, and Eagle is left with four players beneath her doing nothing. The CB steps way too late to the shot and she hits a 31 yard banger (bar down).

This situation is easily avoided by retaining possession in the middle of the park, but also by staying in contact with her in recovery. If Eagle number 20 had just kept her as a mark the CF would have never gotten off the shot. 

As you can see, a very similar scenario unfolded in our game:

We recovered beyond Clark, failing to make contact or pick her up 1v1. In turn, she was able to move into the open space and hit a well placed shot on goal.

That is our goal today. No shots on goal=shut out!

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

Set Pieces: - Their center forward has proven dangerous on corners this season

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!