Match Report: Mullen vs. TCA (Playoffs round 1)

 Mullen vs. The Classical Academy

Location: Mullen High School (3601 S Lowell Blvd)

Time: Kickoff @5:00

Team meeting @2:45

Boots on by 4:15/Warm-up @4:20

Notes/History: This is the first round of the playoffs so everyone has a clean slate. Congratulations on a hard fought regular season and a great seed going into the tournament. Now, leave all that behind and remember the numbers don't matter, everyone just wants to win and stay alive. Also, though it was before your time at Mullen, remember that this match up has history. A handful of years ago, TCA had a state championship bound team, and Mullen showed up at their school and knocked them out in overtime in the second round. Their coach is going to want some revenge, and you know he is going to be telling these girls that it is time to get some payback. We have to go out 1000 percent, and leave nothing to chance.

TCA Strengths:

TCA has 2.5 players that are integral to their system. The right winger (she wears the number eight and will move from wing to wing or even play as the central striker), their CB and their RB.

Number 8 is a talented and fast player. She works some nice 1-2 passes down the line, and she stays on the end of everything that goes toward the corner. Never give up on a play down the line, she won't. Additionally, she has the ability to send in a nasty cross. Sometimes it is goalie bound, and sometimes it skips across the face of the goal, but either way, she is dangerous. Additionally, TCA is well trained to get in front of goal on the counter, so she will have players on the end of the cross if we allow her to get it off.

Their CB with the leg sleeve.... (I don't know that she'll wear it tonight, but she did against BM) She is a talented player who steps well to random balls sent through the middle. Additionally, she is willing to penetrate on the dribble, and against BM she scored a crazy goal from outside the box after she had taken over the ball in the backfield and dribbled 40 yards. She holds them together in the back and she can capitalize on disorganization in the middle of the park.

Lastly, their RB works well with number 8 and she is willing to get forward to support the attack. Furthermore, she will also come inside and work the ball through the midfield to try and open up space for 8 in the corner.

In addition to their cast, this is a good TCA team who is very dangerous on the counter. It is their primary strength, and we need to make sure not to play into it. They send a lot of balls out of the back first time, and their girls just try to run onto them and make things happen. If we leave this game wide open and turn it into some kickball, it will leave the whole thing to chance.

Lastly, TCA is defensive minded and strong in recovery. They will pull a handful of players underneath the ball every time, and their wingers are willing to track back. This means we need to be patient with the ball against the block, check to line breaking passes, but it also means that our OBs need to get super involved in the attack in order to pin the TCA wingers in the backfield.

TCA weaknesses:

This is a strong TCA team who has won 10 games this season and doesn't have a ton of weaknesses. However, there are still a couple of elements that we can look to exploit.

1. They are not a very technical team. This means that we need to capitalize on every bad touch to regain possession. Sometimes we are hesitant to jump in on a girl when she has a bad first touch, and tonight we need to be brave in those moments. Furthermore, if we are well organized, their lack of technical ability is going to make it hard for them to break us down with the pass. If we are well positioned, they are just going to give us the ball. But that means we will need to get back in recovery and pick up our marking assignments. TCA doesn't want to possess the ball, they want to bang it down field and try to get on the end of it. If we execute a strong counter press and we don't let them out of the back, we can capitalize on this weakness.

2. Though they get under the ball, they aren't particularly organized when they get there. This is a team that is committed to recovering, but once they are there, they are kind of running around like crazy people. We need to be patient in possession and look for moments to open them up and get in on goal. Let's not squander possession tonight with random passes and long balls that will just result in giving up the ball and sending TCA on the counter. The gaps are there, we just need to exploit them.

3. Their goalie is squirrely. I think she is pretty good, but when things are coming down field or into her box, she has a tendency to be erratic. Sometimes she comes out too far, sometimes not at all, and she can't always get on the end of things. If she is poorly positioned, we need to look to strike the ball from distance, and we need to make sure to stay with everything headed into the box. We might get a touch around her and an open net, or cause a mistake. Don't give up on anything going foward.

The key to capitalizing on the TCA weaknesses will be protecting the ball, being patient, and checking to players to open up space through the middle of the park. 

Mullen Keys to success: 

I watched the Grandview/Chatfield game last night - we will talk about this more in our meeting today; however, here are the key points. Chatfield went up 2-0 with two crazy set pieces (goalie had a touch night) with a two goal lead they just kept banging the ball down to GV, literally giving it to them every other possession. And their OBs just stayed in the backfield. In turn, GV scored two very nice goals. Then they just kicked it back and forth to one another for the next 20 minutes. 2 minutes into the second half, GV scored. The game was theirs. They changed nothing and kept kicking the ball. This strategy ignited a crazy counter from Chatfield and a girl practically scored from the side line. It was wild. 

The game ended 3-3 and GV was knocked out in a shoot out 4-1.

At no point in the game did either team try to do anything to just control the ball, the possession, anything. They retreated to the backfield and left a lot to chance. 

Tonight, we are the better team, I know that 100 percent. I want to control this game with good passing, good defending, and I want us to intellectually evolve with the game. Move more, pass more, take control, and do not give the ball away haplessly to TCA. If we do the work, we smash them.

In addition to that, please note the following - 

A defensive low block

If TCA comes out and sits low looking for the counter, we are going to need to stay composed and patient as we attempt to create opportunities on goal.

Remember, there are three ways to break down the block.

1. Shoot from outside the block

2. Penetrate the block by moving into the half spaces and looking for 1-2 passes

3. Crossing the ball into the block (we are going to need a presence in the middle)

The biggest thing will be our patience and our off ball movement. Against the block, we need to play as a team and work together to find opportunities. We still need to play with a sense of urgency and not allow them to slow and frustrate the pace of the game. Against a block we have to be hungry and play quickly. 

With all that said, the biggest thing I would like us to focus on is our take aways from the Lutheran game:

1. Play with your head up

2. Come into the half spaces to get the ball - don't just wait for it.

3. Most importantly, everybody defends. Find your marks and pick them up. 

Let's start playing like a championship team now.

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.

Rio: This is 2, but quickly and deceptively. One person goes to the corner while the other goes to get the ball. Make a show of sending the ball to the kicker like you aren't involved in the play. Then step onto the field and execute the corner.

Good luck!