The teams winning these battles usually end up winning the match

Boiled down to its pure essence, soccer can be distilled into a series of small battles between one offensive player and one defensive player. The team that wins the majority of these small battles usually ends up winning the entire match. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about 1 v 1 play without talking about both sides.

In the following discussion, we must assume that the offensive player has a adequate repertoire of moves.

Begin with the defensive stance of the first defender. His or her knees should be bent, feet approximately 12-18 inches apart (width) with one foot in front of the other. The player’s weight should be on the balls of the feet, allowing the defender to move in most directions at a quick pace and change directions quickly.

The first decision the defender must make is which direction he or she would like to push the attacking player. In most cases, the defender wants to steer the attacker away from offensive support and towards the defender’s support. On the sides of the field, this frequently means pushing the player toward the sideline, which can be considered a second defender. If the attack is coming down the middle of the field, a number of quick decisions must be made. First, where are the supporting defenders? Second, where are the supporting attackers? Third, which foot does the attacking player want to use? Once all of these factors have been taken into consideration, the decision of which direction to force the attacking player becomes much easier.

Let’s assume for the moment that the decision has been made to force the opponent down his or her right side (to the defender’s left). This is best accomplished by the defender by placing the right foot in front of the left and one to two feet to the side of the attacking player’s left foot (assuming the defender is facing the attacker in the proper stance and is a few yards from the attacker). By standing to the side of the attacker in this manner, the attacker may get the impression that the defender can be beaten by going to the right. If the ball goes that direction, the defender has won the battle by forcing the attacker to react to the defender’s movement. It is important to understand that a cushion from the attacking player must be maintained. If the defender is caught too close to the attacker, the attacker gains the advantage because he or she is facing forward. The defender essentially must match the attacker’s speed step for step while moving backward, a difficult proposition.

Does this mean that anytime the attacker moves in the direction that the defender forces him or her to that the defender has won? No -- what it means is that in the long run if the defender can steer the attacker in a preferred direction, he or she usually will win.

To combat this, a good offensive player will attack the defender’s front foot. Using the example from above, the attacker would dribble at the defender’s right (front) foot. Doing this forces the defender to do one of three things:

• The defender stands his or her ground. This gives the attacker the opportunity to get close enough to easily blow past the defender.
• The defender shuffles backward to maintain the same distance from the attacker. If this happens, the defender eventually will get pushed out of bounds, since he or she is going backwards and toward the side while trying to push the attacker down the right side.
• The defender performs a drop step and changes the direction he or she is forcing the attacker. This is accomplished by having the defender changing his or her stance by rotating the hips and stepping back with the right foot so that the left foot is in front as well as being to the side of the attacking player’s right foot. Of the three options, this is the only one that doesn't involve complete surrender of the particular battle. However, if the defender does this, the attacker certainly is in control, having forced the defender to react instead of forcing play.

The best way for the defender to combat the opposition attacking the front foot is to utilize a proper feint. People spend a lot of time working on various moves and feints on offense, but it's equally as important on defense. As the attacker is driving at the defender’s front foot, the defender can feint as if he or she is going in for a tackle. This will do one of two things: the attacker will either put his or her head down and slow down, or lose possession of the ball. Either way, the defender has taken control from the attacker.

Note that at no point has diving in and stabbing for the ball been mentioned. In defense especially, patience is a virtue. If the defender is in control of the situation by forcing the opponent in a preferred direction and is controlling pace and vision through proper feinting, in time the attacking player will surrender the ball. Be patient and good things will happen.

Some may say that this is an unrealistic picture, citing players they have seen who never makes a mistake with the ball. My response is this is not true. I have had the privilege of working with a number of All-Americans and several national team players. They are just like everyone else. If you give them enough opportunities to make a mistake, they will. The difference with most of them is that if you are not patient and they are allowed to dictate play, they will kill you.

Remember that the best way to hurt an attacking player simply is to put him or her under pressure. In soccer, the two variables affecting pressure are time and space. If the attacking player’s time and space can be affected through proper positioning and feinting, he or she will feel pressure, forcing loss of ball possession.

The next time you see two players going 1 v 1, see who is winning the majority of the individual battles. Chances are, whoever wins these battles also will win the match.

Editor's Note: Lawrence Fine produces FineSoccer.com, an online resource for a variety of tips, ideas and newsletters related to soccer coaching. A member of the NSCAA Website Development Committee, Fine also serves as volunteer assistant coach for an NCAA Division I men's team.