Match Report: Mullen vs. ABK

 Mullen vs. Arapahoe

JV @4:15 - Arapahoe High School (2201 E Dry Creek Rd, Centennial, CO 80122)

Arrival time: 3:15pm

V @6 - Littleton Public Schools Stadium (LPS - 199 E Littleton Blvd, Littleton, Co 80121)

Arrival time: 5:00pm

*Please make sure to eat a good snack before tonight's game. We'll need the energy!

Match Preface: Know that we have taken a lot from AHS over the last couple of years and they are coming for vengeance. Tonight we have to show a great deal of awareness and discipline to stay in this game. They will be territorial, constantly booting the ball out, and we need to be prepared for that. Expect a grudge match.

ABK Strengths: 

As always, AHS remains incredibly athletic, fast, and direct. Essentially they will just look to throw the kitchen sink all game long, and they won't let up. This direct play has resulted in a handful of opportunistic moments. They beat Creek on a long shot from outside, they beat GV on an insane shoss into the back corner during overtime, and beat CT by just barreling forward into the goal. 

They will send long balls, they will shoot from everywhere, and they will come fast. This furious style of play often overwhelms opponents and gives them the upper hand

*In the game of soccer you must always meet fury and chaos with structure. Today we need to be disciplined, hit our marking assignments, and close down shots (not dive in). This should be able to stifle a lot of the AHS forward dynamic.

A couple of other themes from this season: 

1. They like a quick restart. In fact, both goals that they score on Creek come from quick throws in the final third. Expect to always be playing. Always be sharp. 

2. The only real change that their new coach has brought to the team are some creative set piece. But they are really pretty good, and dynamic. You saw the two that scored on Smoky. We need to be super sharp in the box, and stay with our man on set plays, nothing can go through.

3. Lastly, this ABK team looks like they will just keep running for days at goal. They don't care about offsides or anything, they will just play a direct game through even to their own demise. We have to be prepared to absorb that and not give anything up easy.

Finally, on a tactical note, AHS historically has played a 4-3-3, but they will occasionally send a midfielder out wide between the OB and the Outside Striker. We can absorb this pressure by sending a midfielder out to match, but we also just have to make sure to be underneath the ball as AHS attacks. Our winger can also absorb the drifting midfielder and pressure. When he comes back inside, he needs to be passed off, and the winger needs to reassign to the OB. Keeping our structure regardless of their movement will be paramount.

ABK weaknesses:

It looks like the only two weaknesses in this ABK team are two sides of the same coin. Though he is good, I do not think their keeper is an all star. Under a lot of pressure, we can crack him. In that same vein, his greatest weaknesses are set pieces, and balls into the box. 

Therefore, tonight, we need to find a way to be clinical on set plays (and we definitely need to pressure the goalie on throws and corners) - and we also need to cross the ball into the box. We can send it early from the OBs or from the wings, but I want to just try and pepper the box with balls in tonight to see if we can find a way to be dangerous. 

Attackers, you have to work hard to get on the end of dangerous balls into the box. 

Mullen Keys to Success:

(From Loveland Classical)

1. We need to execute our press in an organized and clinical fashion. We can't sit in the backfield waiting for this ABK team or they are going to crush us. We want to run our mid block and press hard into their OBs and wingers.

2. We need to contain and not dive in. I don't want us chasing in the middle of the park, I want us directing the game. 

3. We need to run the plays. Throw ins, corners, whatever it is, do it right.

4. Attackers need to come back to the game and get underneath. The nine needs to come under and defend and the wingers do too. We need to close the gaps.

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. 

And please remember!

1. OBs, don't track runs beyond your CBs

2. Get goal side on set pieces

3. Keep your mark in the middle of the field

4. Be a leader - clear the ball

JV tactical notes:

Here are some thoughts after watching Arapahoe steal a 2-1 victory over Rock Canyon last month.  As we watched in the video tactics session tomorrow, they won in the final 2 minutes on a mistake by Rock Canyon.  Overall it was two teams playing the same formation and running around without a lot of chances.

Arapahoe Strengths

- Their 4-2-3-1 shape is solid and they generally spread the field which allows them to connect passes

- Dangerous on the counter attack and play the through-ball behind the opposing back line (like Cherokee Trail and Smoky Hill)

- They press the opponent's defensive line to win turnovers in the final third

Arapahoe Weaknesses

- Shape leaves gaps to be exploited with quick passing sequences (1-2s)

- Like to take dribble-quests when they should make a simple pass - so play simple defense and they will turn over the ball

- Susceptible to quick crosses

Mullen Keys to Success

* Be ready to battle - This is another big 5A team with three soccer teams Varsity, JV and C team (Freshman/Sophomores).  So, their players will have a size and strength advantage and we will have to focus on solid team defending to prevent scoring chances,

* When Arapahoe has the ball:  Disrupt their rhythm with solid pressure to the player with the ball and follow their runners.  Mullen defense has to be aware of the space behind them, in front of our GK so we don't give them opportunities for through balls.

* Play Mullen soccer - We spent the last 10 weeks improving our technical ability and decision-making.  Let's show Arapahoe that we are more than they bargained for as we keep the ball, make quick decisions, and pass and move with it.

Reminders:

1. Win individual battles and fight for every ball / disrupt their players

2. Prevent shots from the midfield by pressuring Arapahoe midfielder with the ball 

3. Shoot early and often

Good luck!!