The False Dichotomy - Build vs Playing Direct

Is this even an argument?? Is it an either/or?

Being back in the role of watching youth soccer games more than I coach them - I am back looking at the environments that are producing future players.??

It is very clear in any of my writings or social media quips that being able to start the game from the back is a part of my team’s identity and methodology.? More importantly, though, is the pursuit of space.?

Creation and exploitation of space is paramount in pursuit of the game’s objective which is to score more goals than the opposition.? This is the path I am choosing to take to meet the objective.??

If we start from that place - looking to create and exploit space in order to score more goals than the opposition then we do not need to argue whether we are building or playing direct.? We are simply exploiting and or creating space.??

I need to start from here as I reflect on a recent game I observed.? A local team playing in one of the name brand national leagues started their game from the back.? It was an improvement upon the normal CB to OB and press to turn over method I see from far too many youth teams that look to start their attacks in this fashion.? The opposition were aggressive pressing high and leaving space behind their back line.? The coach of the team in possession informs his teams it is okay to go direct because the opposition is pressing high.??

Therein lies my issues with the false dichotomy.? Why does it have to be build vs direct.? Why do we not speak about the game in terms of space?? That is the objective in this phase in order to reach the goal and score.??

Where is the space??

• In this case it was over and in front of the opposition's back line which left CBs going 2v2 often.?
• That is a situation I feel my team could and should exploit.

How do we reach that space?

• Man oriented left vertical passing lines for balls on the ground.
• Large gaps between lines left space for balls over or in front of the back line.

How do we make use of that space?

• Shared solution = shared response
• This is where the gap was for me.? If I communicate to my team to go direct - what kind of action does this bring about???
• The message delivered to the team was to respond in a way that was outside of the team’s trained methods.???

Working in terms of space changes these instructions and how the situations are being perceived by the players.? A good example recently at the highest level is De Zerbi’s Brighton.? They know they will be pressed and invite it onto them so they can exploit the space in front of and behind the back line.? The coordinated response - arrival for the 1st pass and supporting movement of the 2nd pass to play forward is trained.? That is obvious.? That is a team that works in terms of space- create it and exploit it. Are we stretching our players enough to work in terms of space???

In the second half - the team that showed patience and were finding some success in getting forward was leading but had stopped challenging the opposition on how they created and exploited space.? They became a more predictable and “direct” team. For me - a team of lesser quality was able to open the game up and make it a more transitional game.? Leaving space for goals and an eventual loss by the team that I have discussed.? Control was lost and moments of chaos won the day.

This comes back to the language we use and how we communicate with our players.? What message does the false dichotomy send?? It becomes the “up and in” mentality or a fear of one of the established methods of reaching the game’s objective.??

If our training is focused on space - where is it, how do we create it, and how do we make use of it - that changes a lot of our in-game actions.? There are layers to the game and it is never that simple.? We have to consider the qualities of the players, the opposition, etc - but let’s stay focused on SPACE.?

In my current setting working with all ages - I commonly ask players where the space is.? It could be forward, it could be on the opposite side of the field, or back towards our defensive goal.? The game situation will determine that answer - but the question remains the same.? Where is it and how do we make use of it?

If we make use of space on the opposite side of the field - the current channel does not allow us to progress and reach the attacking goal,

If the space is forward - we have the conditions we want and need to exploit that space ASAP to reach the game’s objective.

If the space is back towards our own goal - we are facing a strong opposition that is organized well or we just regained the ball in transition and we are not prepared to exploit space in other parts of the field.?

As we continue down this path it becomes clear that the space we need to create & exploit is different - every game brings a new opponent that presents a new context. The challenge is how do we create environments that prepare players for these ever-changing contexts that can be overcome through a shared set of team intentions.

I leave this parting message - be wary of those coaches, directors, soccer leaders that work in "always" or "never" in solving games situations. Black and white maxims rarely fit a game that lives in the gray.