Match Report: Mullen vs. Windsor (Girls Soccer)

 Match Report: Mullen vs. Windsor

Windsor High School: 1100 W MAIN St, Windsor, CO 80550

JV@5:30 - On the Grass Field

V@ 7 - In the Stadium

Varsity Team meeting at 3:05 in 303

Arrival @6

Boots on by 6:15.

Preface:

Windsor is in an interesting place this year. This is their first game of the season and they are coming off spring break, but I imagine they are going to be up for the game, especially since they are playing us at home! They are also going through a bit of an identity shift. They retained a couple of their very talented midfielders, but lost one to injury, and graduated some other key players in both their attack and defense. On an individual level, I think they are going to be very strong. On a team level, I think they are going to be trying to figure some things out. The number one way to combat good individual players is to stay organized, press hard, and take away their time. If we force them to move the ball to one another, they are going to struggle. Tonight is a night we need to take advantage of. We have to give everything to this game.

Windsor Strengths:

There are a couple of players for us to keep an eye on tonight:

(There is no roster online and I don't know if they retained numbers from last year, so we'll go by position)

Martinez - the girl who plays the nine. She was a freshman last year, and she saw some significant minutes. Windsor's big bball player was their primary attacker, but I thought Martinez moved the ball well and found herself in the gaps. She scored 3 goals last year and we have to imagine that she is good for more this year. We will have to share her between the CBs and 6s and step hard to her when she is in the gap. We have to be aware of her tendency to set the ball to oncoming midfielders who are looking to shoot.

Both returning midfielders: Windsor will return a junior and sophomore from their midfield this season. The junior plays the roll of a deeper six. She is strong 1v1, she can dribble, and she will penetrate wide if given the opportunity. The sophomore plays more like an 8, and her movement is good. Last year she looked a little lost, but we can expect her to have improved. Both of them are technical and able to move the ball through the middle of the park. They are also prone to getting pulled out of position, so we need to try and take advantage of that with quick passes through the middle of the park.

Their left wing from last year is a senior this year. She is a big girl who will look to come in and strike on her right foot. He may have moved her to the 10 in the absense of Ella, so we will have to be prepared for her physicality and desire to drive and shoot where ever she is on the field.

In addition to these players, we know that Windsor will be fast and athletic. They will be physical and they'll be ramped up playing at home. They are going to be hungry for an initial win, and over the last couple of years, a rivalry has developed between us and they will be hunting that down as well. We have to guard against shots from outside and individual moments of brilliance. If we play as a team, stay organized and press our marks, they are going to struggle with us.

Windsor Weaknesses:

In their second game of the season last year, Windsor played a really talented Pine Creek team. Their back line was a mess, and Pine Creek just walked them. The next week they came to us and played to a 100 minute 1-1 tie and then had three very tight performances against top 10 5a teams in their next three games. Obviously they had made adjustments. 

We have to assume that Windsor's biggest weakness is going to be their lack of experience so far this season, in addition to the fact that they haven't been able to practice much. We might be catching them at a time when they are still ironing things out, and we have to take advantage of that. The areas that are going to be suffering the most are:

1. Ball movement (if we are well positioned, they will give us the ball)

2. Speed of play (this is where our press is elemental)

3. Communication and shape of the back line and general shape (our attackers need to be dynamic and move creatively to pull them out of shape, our OBs need to get involved in the attack)

4. Marking on set pieces (this is huge for us and we need to take advantage of this - be hungry on set plays)

5. Defense and goalie communication (we saw it a couple of times in film, but that ball over the top is on, we just need to start the run before the ball is played - be brave).

Additionally, if they are playing the same goalie as last season and this winter, she struggles with high shots, especially from the outside. If an OB get a look, they have to take it. Our corners and free kicks also need to be on frame.

What we can not allow to happen is to concede a goal and let them hunker in and defend against us. We have to be organized and press hard to take away their time. If we play like we did against Northfield, but we press in those extra moments we need to, we will be a nightmare for this team.

Mullen Keys to success: 

I think our two biggest adjustments can be seen in the film clips we watched yesterday. In the first clip, we have to remember that we can't turn our back to the game, we have to keep our eyes on ball and player. Back pedal into shape. Secondly, we need to press into the wingers, even when they drop into the game. She has a bad touch, and we just have to eat her up in that moment. Remember, when the winger has space, it ignites the OB to make the run, but when we press into her, the OB has to stay dropped to cover.

After the OB gets through, we have to foul her outside the box. It is the only option. Additionally, remember that the keeper needs to start her approach as the last defender closes down so that she can become cover and scoop up the touch that comes through.

In the second highlight, though the NF girls definitely dives, our defensive positioning is poor, and we shouldn't give away the set piece because we should just play a simple possession retaining pass. On set plays we want to mark underneath and goal side. This allows zonal players to track the ball, and it helps us to keep position on runners so they can't exploit the inside space and turn it into a foul or goal.

So... tonight:

1. We need to be organized in our midblock and we need to press the OBs and wingers. Pressing and attacking is not an option.

2. We need to make smart quick passes to retain possession.

3. We need to be clinical on set pieces (both attacking and defending)

4. We need to hunt together, be dynamic, and find opportunities to score.

Remember: sometimes you have to spring to a position (sprinting isn't only for when you are chasing the ball) the most important thing we do is continuously get ourselves back into shape.

You have to ask yourself the question, where am I if we lose the ball?

If we can do this tonight and learn from our mistakes at CA and NF, we can contain this team.

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!

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. 

Free Kicks -

Name + Number

ex. Kendall 1 (would be Kendall hitting a right footed shot to the near post)

1 = Right

2 = Left

No mistakes in the back. No goals against. Work hard for each other.

Good luck.