| USWNT Training Session |
A training session for coach Pia Sundhage's U.S. Women's National Team as it prepared for competition at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Team
Warm-Up
• Light jog and stretching
• Rhythm pattern
• Footwork, agility and balance
FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
Attackers
• Possession and transition
• Cross and finish
Defenders
• Possession and flighted balls
• Center back - goalkeeper communication
MAX SPEED FINISHING
• Mid Stripe Diagonal Balls
9 v. 9
HAT TRICK
• Three-part finishing game
Warm-Up: Rhythm Pattern
Setup:Mid stripe to top of penalty area, 10 players in a group rotate target to wing, wing to opposite side line, deep player to target, line to deep
Pattern: Ball starts with deep to wing and back, wing spins out and deep bends ball into wings run, wing takes two touches and plays target. Target checks away and back receives then turns in one touch, finds deep player and pattern repeats on new side. Players rotate.
Coaching Points: Quality of ball, as much one-touch as possible, movement off ball. Progressed to wing receiving second ball as a chipped ball.
Warm-up Goalkeeper
Setup: In the six-yard box, two goalkeepers working on halves of goal. Three cones on slight diagonal away from goal. One cone on each side extending from post to six-yard box.
Activity: Goalkeepers use a variety of footwork to get through cones. Once they reach the six-yard gate at the end, they set and receive service.
1. Volley right to goalkeeper
2. Off ground serve to side on ground
Five times each and switch with server
Coaching Points: Always face server even in returning to starting point, choose any footwork but make it clean and quick, set position and body shape important to receive service.
1. Volley – clean handle and distribute back to server’s feet
2. Off ground – set off rhythm of server, find post with a touch after footwork, collapse or smother forward of six-yard gate
Team Agility and Flexibility
Setup: Two agility ladders with five-yard explosion off end of ladders.
Activity: Team goes through 10 different footwork ladder patterns. Then through 20 yards of lunge stretching.
Coaching Points: Fast feet and head up. Drop hips, drive knee and explode five yards off ladder.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup: A server with balls on each flank and a target forward for opposition.
Activity: Goalkeeper sets up to receive a flighted ball into the box, then distributes that ball to the opposite server. Five each side.
Coaching Points: Be patient. Collect ball at its highest point. “Keeper” call or “Away” call. If away, track the ball until it’s out of play. On distribution follow through to target.
Functional Training: Attackers
Setup: 30 x 25 yd grid divided into three equal zones (10 X 25). Six green, two red and two yellow. Greens are divided, three in each end zone. One red and one yellow defend opposite against each green team. Remaining yellow and red are in middle zone.
Activity: Three greens possess in their zone, trying to achieve four passes. At four they will play the target in the middle, who has one touch to find a green from the same grid transitioning toward the other grid. The green transitioning plays the ball into the opposite green zone and joins to play 4 v. 1. Target in middle should alternate between receiver and pressure. To avoid the defenders tiring too quickly, they should occasionally change with the target in the same color. If the defender wins the ball, they will play the target while the team they won it from transitions to join the middle to then join the opposite team.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup:In the six-yard box a cone is placed six yards from each post. A second cone is placed 20 yards from each post. Two servers are positioned with balls one on the side and one midway 20 yards out.
Activity: Goalkeeper receives a ball to feet from server on side and plays the ball back to server with feet. Goalkeeper then finds ball line and moves toward the server 20 yards out. Reading the rhythm of the server to go to set, the goalkeeper saves a low driven ball at the goalkeeper. Five reps of each.
Coaching Points: Back pass – Read the pace of the ball and take two touches when fast and one when slow. Accuracy to the target is important. On a low driven shot, quickly find the ball line, better to set early than late and make the save going forward to increase deflection angle.
Functional Training: Defender
Setup:15 x 15 box on the midline and a 15 x 15 box at the 18. Three teams of four in three different colors. 4 v. 2 in each box, three four-minute rounds.
Activity: Teams play 4 v. 2 trying for four passes. After the fourth pass, play a flighted ball into the other grid. The defenders in the new grid have to stay on the line closest to the old box until the ball passes over them. The new grid plays 4 v. 2 and repeat the service after the fourth pass. This is played for a time limit with each team trying to accrue a point for four passes followed by an accurate service. If the defenders win the ball, they keep it until the four can regain it. If it’s played out the coaches start a ball to the four. After the time the defenders move into a space to become attackers and the team in the space splits and sends two to each of the grids as defenders.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup:One goalkeeper in goal, a server 35 yards out on the width, a target wide over the midline, a coach at the top of the penalty area.
Activity: Goalkeeper receives a flighted ball served as an early ball behind a back line of defenders. She punts/drop kicks this ball to target. Server plays a driven ball to the coach, who knocks it down into box for goalkeeper to two-touch clear to target.
Coaching Points: Early service – read pace and spin on ball, collect before it bounces, last step to drive though ball, keeper call, focus to hit target on quick counter. Knocked down ball – Read through ball, take a touch forward and wide of goal, find target on over midfield.
Functional - Attackers
Setup:Three central players and two wide players, a goalkeeper in goal.
Activity: From a central position a ball is played with pace out wide. The wide player receives it and either takes it to the end line to serve or serves it early. The forwards time their runs to get an attempt on goal. Alternate balls to wide players.
Coaching Points: The quality of the service is critical. It must have pace and be delivered to an area the goalkeeper can’t intercept. Timing of the forward’s run is important to attack the ball for a goal scoring chance. When attacking the ball bend the run so that the body is square to the oncoming service.
Functional - Defenders
Setup:Several central players, two wide players, two defenders, GK in goal.
Activity:
1. Ball gets played to a central player who takes a long-range shot, then recovers.
2. Ball is played from the same wide player to a central player who switches field to the other wing. The wing either goes end line or serves early. The one shooter plus an additional attacker time their run to meet the service for a scoring chance. The two defenders organize to negate the chance.
Coaching Points: This is designed to help the communication between the goalkeeper and the two center backs. Once the ball has switched, the two center backs drop to accomplish two things:
1. Shorten the window of space to attack behind the defenders and before the goalkeeper.
2. Once the ball is served they can attack the service going forward instead of being off balance and running at their on goal.
Midline Five-Second Maximum Speed
Setup:Four lines at the midline, two facing toward each goal. Goalkeepers in goals. Loads of balls. Each player gets five times as receiver.
Activity: Interior line takes a touch, which releases receiving line. On second touch a diagonal ball is flighted for the receiver to bring to ground and strike on goal with the second touch. Server and receiver switch lines.
Coaching Points: The idea is that the receiver has five seconds to reach maximum speed. They must decelerate to receive and strike on goal.
9 v. 9
Setup:Field size top of penalty area to end line. Eight field players, one goalkeeper per team.
Activity: Regular soccer rules 9 v. 9
Coaching Points: Emphasis on
1. Playing forward and joining
2. Speed of play
3. Creating quality chances in final 1/3
Note: Sundhage was very positive, only stopping play to point out excellence.
Hat Trick
• Player 1 takes a touch and shoots before the ball crosses top of box.
• Player 1 then turns to receive ball from Player 2 and lays ball off to player 2 to strike outside of the top of the box.
• Player 3 takes a touch on the outside and serves a flighted ball for Players 1 and 2 making runs into the box. The ball must be finished out of the air (volley or header.)
• All three shots have to score to accomplish the hat trick.
Note: The U.S. team has never accomplished the Hat Trick – the goalkeepers always win!
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