In this article, we will talk about the correlation between teaching defensive concepts and creating intelligent players, but before we begin, we need to first look into the following questions:
What are the consequences of poor defending?
The first step to creating effective defensive structures is to teach defensive concepts. Only then can we make intelligent players?
The individual offensive concepts, such as:
- Head up
- break lines
- between the lines
Help the player see spaces and free players but not create the free one. The problem is that many teams need to follow defensive structures, so the area already exists, so players have to see and find the free player.
It is unrealistic that only by dominating the individual concepts can players play soccer and find free players; they need the collective ones to dominate the game.
For example:
1. Players defending different heights, creating other lines. This allows players to move between the lines.
But where are the spaces between the lines with an excellent defending structure?
Here, coaches must teach the offensive collective concepts so players can break this defensive structure.
2. Player pressing the wrong channel
The ball possessor finds this free player because an outside player is doing inside pressure.
The offensive team is not creating this; it is terrible defensive behavior.
But how do I create a 2vs1 action, or do I find a free player when everyone is in their channel and correct position?
So this is why we can say: Without defensive concepts, there are no intelligent offensive players. We are not forcing the players to break the defensive structure since it’s already broken.
The question is: Why is it like this in America?
Maybe basketball? Let’s analyze what happens in basketball.
Why do the NBA use man-marking and European basketball zonal defense? Is there a translation into soccer?
It is essential to understand that soccer players defend the space, not opponents.
To understand the concept of defending the space rather than defending the players, we must divide the defensive structure into the first defender and the second and third defender.
The 1st defender (1st action) helps players to improve their creativity; a good defense of the 1vs1 is the key to enhancing your creativity vs. dominating a skill. The question is, what is a good 1vs1 defense?
1.Arm contact .NOBODY uses arms in the US, and there is a need for more knowledge to teach this or the referees calling soft fouls for minimal contact.
This is not a foul! The player must use the arm to have the player’s reference, which helps to control the timing of the tackling and to unbalance the opponent.
2.Tackling happens way more frequently than shooting, for example, yet many coaches spend hours working on shooting and barely dedicate time to tackling.
Don’t defend in a fake way, please! Players must get way closer to the opponent; they are too far.
South America is known for fostering unique individual talents with extraordinary one v one ability. One of the main reasons for this is the very demanding and aggressive defensive play from the opponents. Many coaches try to develop one v one knowledge by running countless unopposed drills where the players practice against cones, and that’s not enough as it does not replicate the natural conditions of an opposing defender. The speed of reaction and your intuition is what counts, not isolated skills against cones.
When players from the United States participate in European tournaments, they struggle because they are used to this unrealistic environment here in the States, where their spaces between lines are enormous and the time for decision-making is increased. Playing against organized defensive structures forces the players to develop their creativity and speed of thought to create and exploit the spaces on the field.
Hence, developing strong defensive players leads to more well-rounded and intelligent attackers.
Let’s now analyze the 2nd defender and 3rd defender.
The defense of the space vs. the defense of the player
The second and third defenders are tasked to defend the free space, not man marking an opponent, as that would create spaces between the lines if drawn out of position by intelligent movement of the attackers. But what happens if the second and third defender stays disciplined and complete their roles? How do we create a free player now?
This question is the main reason why European players have higher soccer IQs, developed over the years trying to figure out how to solve the opponent’s pressure and create a free player, while here in the US, the spaces and the free players are a given due to the lack of tactical knowledge from both players and coaches. Often we hear coaches shouting out “cliches” and general instructions such as “find the free space” during games, while in reality, they should be the ones explaining during their training where the free space will appear and how to find it. Great coaching is about details and explaining the “how” more than the “what.”
