You were the lucky ones to be the “real winners” as we found out how to really play JOGO BONITO, the beautiful game.
BSC INTERNACIONALS – BRASIL
April, 2004
by Graham Ramsay
LESSONS LEARNED?
These ideas below come from the most part from you. You were the lucky ones to be the “real winners” as we found out how to really play JOGO BONITO, the beautiful game. Are we now smart & motivated enough to inflict these ideas onto our opponents in the months ahead? That’s the test especially for the ones that didn’t make the trip as they have a lot to learn.
From our meeting that night in Limeira these were your thoughts & ideas:-
(1) WARM-UPS – Preparing to play & train in a focused way, both mentally and physically. As we saw they spent 30 to 40 minutes getting ready to win as that’s how they see the process of warming up. The individual part is your responsibility and you need to experiment, e.g., Umbro video, watch track athletes or watch DC United train.
(2) FOCUSED EFFORT - To concentrate on winning and making the team play. Don’t get distracted by fouls, arguments or bad decisions. While you’re not playing, they are!
(3) COMMUNICATION – This is the verbal oil that makes the team purr smoothly. Teams that talk the game plays the game.
“ PASS THE BALL, PASS A CALL.”
(4) FITNESS TO WIN – They played with very few subs which tells you about their fitness levels. They could win a game in the first or the final minute of a game. Fitness allied to skill are deadly weapons as we found out. Without fitness skill is like owning a Transam with no gas in it. Beautiful to look at, but useless.
(5) FLOW PLAY – “Never let the spots stop” forcing our opponents to run, run, run, run and run more. Remember our last game and the pain we went through chasing the ball in the heat. It was like watching a boxer jab the energy out of their opponent in the early rounds to set up to pulverize him in the latter rounds. Soccer is no different.
(6) PROBE / POSSESSION ATTACKS – They probed for an opening in our defense, searching for a gap/hole or an overload opportunity. They rarely forced an attack. As many of you noted their PATIENT PLAY.
(7) SUCK & SWITCH PLAY – Suck the opposition into the ball & switch it quickly to the open or weak side.
(8) CASCAVEL FUTEBOL - When they attacked in and around the penalty area you could hear the rattle of the move as the quick one touch play accelerated their play into top gear. Danger was imminent as you could feel the strike about to happen.
One & two touch with making new angles at speed was the order of the play. Yet it was still organized & composed play.
(9) DROPPING OUT – The nearest player, especially in midfield, would automatically “ drop out ” for his teammate who was under pressure. We saw this tactic over and over again throughout the trip. Watching Internacionals play in that training game we saw the idea many times again. It was like a pulse beat.
(10) EARLY / EARLY – They shot EARLY and they crossed EARLY. You ask both our ‘keepers as they were on the receiving end of this assault. Listen to their pain.
(11) UNITY of SHAPE – They attacked & defended as a team. They always traveled in “packs” of 3’s and 4’s all over the field.
Bethesda Internacionals.
MY FIVE CENTS of IDEAS.
(A) TEAM SPIRIT – It gave me much pleasure to see the team mature and work hard for each other, especially when things were going against us. The effort and the heart never faltered. That’s real winning.
The complaining & whining disappeared and was replaced with far more constructive communication. Complaining is to do with the past and has nothing to do with winning. Coaching your teammate is to do with the NOW, winning and enjoying a great game. It’s a positive game.
(B) TRAVEL, TRAVEL – The backs especially need to dictate this movement more rapidly. The first goal we conceded from a volley from outside the box. The ball traveled15 yards and we didn’t move a yard. We paid the price.
Read the play:
(1) When the ball travels you can travel as it arrives at the other end you assess to slow down or stop if it goes to an opponent.
Remember when to step and when to drop.
(C) COVER PLAY – Remember your priorities
(1) Kill the Hole/Gap
(2) Can I get to my opponent if the ball is played to him?
(3) Remember the “ UP ” and “ BACK ” motion of pressure and cover?
(D) FIRST TOUCH – They often received the ball and took it into a screening position immediately. This was especially true in midfield areas. They never risked giving the ball away.
Remember your first touch must win you 2 plus’s-
(1) Space and (2) a new angle to access the next play.
(E) OUR SET PLAYS – We need to practice them and keep the discipline of doing what we practice.
(F) OUR SET PLAY, THEIR COUNTER ATTACK - Such play is criminal. We give the ball away in sloppy ways, especially at throw-ins and free kicks in midfield. Often it puts the team at risk to conceding a poor goal. The crime is that we get the assist to their goal. We never help the other team to win.
The President of Limeira F.C. was surprised by our play and amazed at those goals. Let’s keep amazing more people closer to home this coming spring and summer. So let’s adopt these ideas and play the best soccer in Internacionals history.
DO IT!
REMEMBER when we applied these lessons our team play was a joy to watch. The goals and the approach leading up to them in our 4th game will be tough to match. They were superb but that’s the challenge and that’s the standard you’ve set. The bar always goes up and never down with the best teams.