ECNL England team

[Unregistered]

http://www.potomacsoccerwire.com/news/458/17562

[Unregistered]

Drives me crazy when a player receives the ball with the outside of the foot.

[Unregistered]

looked like U10 soccer when someone gets the ball and they don't want to pass.

[Jacques Strapp]

Drives me crazy when a player receives the ball with the outside of the foot.

Sometimes receiving the ball with the outside of the foot is the best place to do so. Who cares? Her first touch was fine and that is all that matters

looked like U10 soccer when someone gets the ball and they don't want to pass.

Didn't she put the ball to the back of the net? Owning and controlling the ball is a heck of a lot better than watching U16s or 17s play direct "boom ball." If boom ball is the alternative I'd rather see the selfish player that looks like a u10!!

[ForzaAzzurri]

Great dislpay of passing, especially in working the ball out of their own end, by the BLUE team.

But the left back on the RED team is NOT a soccer player. Dreadful read, poor decision-making, and perhaps worst of all, turns the wrong way...like the shy unathletic kid in 7th grade gym class (remember volleyball?) who wants nothing to do with the ball.

[Unregistered]

Don't get too excited yet mom. That's a US all star team made up of some of the best players in the country versus Filton, a British high school squad.

[Unregistered]

Don't get too excited yet mom. That's a US all star team made up of some of the best players in the country versus Filton, a British high school squad.

Spot on. Very little defending going on with that goal. Payne's run was largely unchallenged.

[Unregistered]

Spot on. Very little defending going on with that goal. Payne's run was largely unchallenged.

Have to question if Payne ever passes the ball? She was very successful on this run, but really looks like one of those players who doesn't use her team...very fixated on herself. A good couple defenders on her, and she'd be toast, not looking for a teammate.

[Busta Move]

Have to question if Payne ever passes the ball? She was very successful on this run, but really looks like one of those players who doesn't use her team...very fixated on herself. A good couple defenders on her, and she'd be toast, not looking for a teammate.

It looks as if she did not pass the ball. She didn't need to pass the ball. If you don't need to pass the ball, why do it? Perhaps if the defenders were better she would have passed the ball. Again, it doesn't matter. She put the ball to the back of the net.

You all are so hung up on the girl's passing. Passing is, indeed, a very important part of the game. But if one doesn't need to pass, why do it. Take this all a bit further. What player is the most dangerous player on the field? It is the back that joins in the attack by keeping the ball at their feet and NOT passing it up from the back. Why are they so dangerous? Because they are so hard to defend. They create an advantage in numbers and that means that someone is almost sure to be unmarked. This is the type of player that Maicon is. The sight of him driving the ball up from the back puts a great deal of fear into his opponents because they know that he is creating a dangerous situation. His ability to keep the ball at his feet is what is creating the dangerous situation. This country lacks players that like to, or have the ability to, keep the ball at their feet. A player that can drive the ball and maintain possession is a rare commodity in the States.

[Unregistered]

we must be watching different games then. i've seen too many players, especially fast, highly touted, "elite" ones dribble until they lose the ball. usually, for every highlight goal, there are multiple giveaways. penn state last year was one team we discussed at length on this forum. (not referring to the ma player as she distributed well in the games i watched.)

[Unregistered]

we must be watching different games then. i've seen too many players, especially fast, highly touted, "elite" ones dribble until they lose the ball. usually, for every highlight goal, there are multiple giveaways. penn state last year was one team we discussed at length on this forum. (not referring to the ma player as she distributed well in the games i watched.)

Doesn't the coach play into this?

[Busta Move]

we must be watching different games then. i've seen too many players, especially fast, highly touted, "elite" ones dribble until they lose the ball. usually, for every highlight goal, there are multiple giveaways. penn state last year was one team we discussed at length on this forum. (not referring to the ma player as she distributed well in the games i watched.)

Fair enough and I do agree. As a matter of fact, you are lending credence to what I am saying when you say "i've seen too many players, especially fast, highly touted, "elite" ones dribble until they lose the ball." You are right. It happens far too often and it happens because kids aren't comfortable keeping the ball at their feet. It is the result of playing too much direct soccer at too early of an age. If kids are encouraged to keep the ball from an early age they become more comfortable in maintaining possession themselves. Ideally, and in the end, kids will be just as adept at passing as they will with keeping the ball. Having said this, when they are dribbling and maintaining possession they need to constantly be looking for what they are going to do next - perform a feint to keep the ball, looking for a team mate, etc. And, yes, we must be watching different games. I watch a lot of Spanish Premier League games. This is how those players play and they are the best in the world. They know when it is advisable to keep the ball and when not.

Again, I do agree with you - players lose the ball far too often.

[Unregistered]

Doesn't the coach play into this?

It is a style being adopted by the women's youth national teams. They want dribblers to take on players 1 v 1 in the attacking 3rd and are willing to lose possession in doing so. The Penn State coach is heavily involved with the national program so it is no surprise that she favors this style.

[Busta Move]

It is a style being adopted by the women's youth national teams. They want dribblers to take on players 1 v 1 in the attacking 3rd and are willing to lose possession in doing so. The Penn State coach is heavily involved with the national program so it is no surprise that she favors this style.

I actually love the style. I think that it is exciting to watch players go 1v1 in the attacking 1/3. I also love watching backs that join in on the attack and are so comfortable with the ball that they become really dangerous threats in the final 1/3. As I mentioned earlier, the backs that attack are the most dangerous players on the field because they are so hard to defend against. They will either go 1v1 to goal or find a teammate that is often unmarked because of their presence in the final 1/3. Maicon is one of my favorite players because of how he does this. Does anybody remember his goal against N. Korea in the World Cup. He iinitiated all that from the back and then went on the attack. Granted, it was not a solo effort and the whole thing relied on great passing as well.

I think that as the players in this country make the transition from attacking 1v1 in the final 1/3 that we will see them giving up the ball more than they should until they are comfortable doing it. In the meantime, I'll enjoy watching them try to do it.

[Unregistered]

What was the purpose of this trip? Simply a reward a la a trip to England for being named to the team? Certainly the quality of the opposition in this game is a total mismatch. That being the case, coaches should still be demanding good play. Recieving the ball with the outside of your foot is bad technique and should be corrected. #5 is making a run and asking for the ball, but stops her run because Payne isn't giving up the ball. That should be corrected. #14 and #12 are practically running into each other. #12 goes to goal, but #14 stands and watches. That should be corrected. What a mess!