Mullen vs Grandview (League opener)

 Mullen vs. Grandview

Varsity @4pm (JV to follow)

Mullen Soccer Complex (3601 S Lowell Blvd)

Grandview strengths: 

Grandview suffered through some tough games last season relying on a somewhat younger cast of players. They are older now, more seasoned, and more disciplined. They took a beatdown from Fairview to start the season and it appears to have been a byproduct of an attempt to move the ball around a little more and play on the front foot. They got caught on the counter a handful of times, and now it would seem that they have abandoned that attempt. They are back to their defending ways, and Coach Wood is a coach who has no problem winning every game 1-0 if it means protecting the goal. 

You can expect to see Grandview back in a block looking for opportunities to counter. They will all get back behind the ball, and we need to push up and take advantage of this fact. The deeper we push their wingers, the more ground they have to cover to get forward. Additionally, they will play a somewhat territorial game in which they move the ball out quickly and conservatively. The center backs (and especially tonight because one of them is a backup to the starter who is out on a red) will just blast the ball out and roll to dice up top to be dangerous. 

Almost every coach I talk to that loses to Grandview says the same thing: "We dominated the game, but we just couldn't put it away. They got one opportunity in behind and they capitalized on it." 

If this was a one off comment it would be one thing, but this is their game plan. Relinquish possession, play direct, protect the goal.

In support of this effort, they have a couple of key figures that allow them to play the plan. Their goalie has been in net since his sophomore year, and while he has some sketchy moments, he is very talented. He also has a boot on him that he can send like 70 yards to number 11 to try and get in behind.

Number 11 and number 7 are their work horses. 11 will get up and down the sideline. He'll defend, and then push the game on the counter. And he is dynamic. He likes to check into the lanes, find the ball, turn it and play the switch. Additionally, when the ball is up field he will drift wide away from play and wait for the errant switch to jump on and get in on goal. He wants to come inside and score. 

Number 7 is a good finisher, but he does most of his work trying to direct the game from the top. He will press the game to the wings and Grandview will try to turn the ball over there. He is also shifty on set pieces and can wiggle away from his man. He has a nose for goal.

Finally, Grandview has always been dangerous on corners. Defend hard, score on set plays, it is a strategy that works. We need to track our marks, be annoying, and keep our position. Against Northfield, we had two players in zone marking in the six instead of our one floater at the back post. Consequently, that player got pulled inside and we missed the clearance and Northfield scored a goal. Every player, with the exception of our front and back post players as well as the zone floater in the six should have a man and not let them go. 

As you can see in the image above, we leave a man on our keeper unmarked. He is splitting two zone marks. He will eventually roll off the keeper to the back post, play the ball in and then they will crash and finish. The key here is that he pulls our back zone mark out of position with his movement and consequently, we miss the clearance. The ball ends up falling right where we should be. If we mark him initially, we don't get pulled out of position and he doesn't have a free opportunity on goal.

We need to be sharp on corners against GV tonight.

In short, Grandview is very good when it comes to getting underneath, defending goal, sending the counter and patiently awaiting their opportunity. Our press will be essential. 

Grandview weaknesses:

We have scored one goal on Grandview in the last 11 years. It was on a set piece. That is probably one of our best chances to get in, so we have to work hard on set pieces to try to find a way to the end of the ball. 

However, for tonight, there are a couple elements at play. Grandview seems to be heavily dependent on number 11 in their build up and attack so if we can contain him, we can stifle their options. Additionally, their starting CB got a red against Valor so the back up is in. We have to press the game and try to create opportunities to get in behind. Lastly, when balls are sent into the box, the goalie is spotty. Sometimes he comes out strong, sometimes he doesn't. We have to challenge for balls coming into the box. 

I believe we are a team that can beat anyone. We just need to execute our press, limit turn overs, and find our way in.

As you can see in the midblock, the 9 pushes the game to one side (strong side). In this diagram, the 11 and 3 then press into their marks, the 10 holds the base of the triangle between the 9 and 11. The strong side 6 and CB both elevate, while the weakside 6 and CB drop into the gap. Finally, the 7 drops to share and cover the switch. If the big ball goes, one of the CBs picks up the winger and the OB covers middle. WE DON'T CHASE, WE RECOVER. 

As you can see in this snap shot - our 11 gets caught back with the winger, our 3 is floating and no one is pressing the OB. Our failure to press leaves everyone stuck in the backfield, and one flick from a free long ball beats our back line and sends the forward into goal. Additionally, our weakside winger is too elevated (he isn't back sharing) and it leaves our OCB isolated. However, every time we executed the press correctly, NF turned over the ball.

How to beat Grandview:

1. Organized and effective press

2. Retain/regain possession

3. Use the width--Outside backs need to get elevated!!!!

4. Score on set pieces.

Don't turn off, see the game through.

Set pieces:

(Corners)

Rio - Fake corner. One player goes and gets the ball and acts like they are throwing it to the other player. He plays them as soon as he steps on the field and we attack. The runners have to be sharp on Rio and ready for the fake play!

2- Short corner overlap. Attackers cover near, middle, far - slight delay on the run in.

3- short corner choice. The players taking the corner will choose to overlap or take on the player. Attackers cover all positions, and delay runs in.

Jolly - Bend it in the goal. Attackers cover all locations, especially back post. Anything that goes long should be headed back toward goal.

Bumblebee - cluster around the goalie inside the six. Ball should be played into the cluster. 

11 - Three runners at the near post, two at the back. The three runners circle around to the near post, middle, and far post, while the two at the back make direct runs across the goal.

Snake: 

For this corner, we will have two groups of two players at each corner of the six. They will make phantom runs where they appear to check away and then just bounce back. Two more players will start at the front top of the box and make diagonal runs to the back post. At that point an initial runner will sprint to toward the corner taker while the second runner trails. The corner taker will make a pass to the top of the box, the first runner will dummy and the second will strike the ball. 

Reminders:

1. No mistakes out of the back. Smart decisions and smart passes that avoid the counter.

2. Patience. We can't chase them all game. We will have to be okay giving up moments of possession in order to strike when the timing is right. Marking assignment and a high level of confrontation will be key!

3. We need to keep the ball out of the middle of the field in the central third. Swinging the ball quickly through the 6 and the 10 will open up the attack so that outside backs and wingers can serve.

JV Tactical Notes:

Grandview JV Strengths:

• Athletic players.
• Look to move the ball quickly up field - sending balls across lines and counter attacks.
  
• Spread wide on goal kicks.
  
• Striker and forwards want to pressure the back line.

Grandview JV Weaknesses:

• Emergency defending - gave up a PK and goal Fairfield (we'll see this in film).
• Struggle to connect passes under pressure and tendency to lose their shape in dangerous situations.
  
• Offensively they struggle to build to create scoring opportunities.
• GK is slow to come off his line.

Mullen Keys to Success:

• Stay compact when defending - 6s stay connected in front of the back line and watch and defend passing lanes.
• We can gain an advantage when we pressure the ball, win it and then look to keep it.
• Once we have the ball, we want to play simple passes and players should check to the ball,
• If we get control of the midfield like Fairview did, they then will resort to long balls so our CBs must avoid leaving a huge gap behind them (in front of our goal)

Reminders:

• Shape is King!  Fairfield kept their shape and won dozens of turnovers when Grandview passed the ball to the Fairfield midfielders.
• Pressure the ball - take away time and space.
  
• Push the ball to the corners for our outside forwards (7/11) can look to make crosses back into the penalty area.
• Mullen JV team tied 2-2 at Grandview last year.

Set Pieces:

See varsity match report for the descriptions of the ones we have learned:  #1, #2, Bumblebee, Jolly and Snake