Understanding Small Group Attacking Principles Pt. 2
Moving to 2v1 Finishing Work
As the players learned during their earlier training on the phases of individual attacking, the object of any attacker is to hang onto the ball and to keep possession until the ball can be moved into scoring range. Because the alleys down the sides of the field are the least crowded, supporting player most usually will be running along the touchline (or fairly close to it) in order to provide a safety outlet for the ball. The inside player, on the other hand, will constantly be on the alert for openings to make a run towards goal, and will want to probe and push at the defense so that he can take advantage of any lapse which opens shooting space in the central area.
Just as with individual attacking, safety stops being a major consideration when the ball is moving into scoring range. At this point, the job of the Support player is to find the best space behind or to the side of the last defender(s) where he can receive the ball for a decent shot on goal. Because most younger players cannot control air balls very well, or serve air balls with any accuracy, it is usually best to start training the players in finishing opportunities which can be created through passes on the ground. Thus, the Support player will need to get into a position where the ball can see his feet (or, later, into a position where the ball can see space which he can reach ahead of the keeper or defender).
Here is a common training scenario. Assume that you have 2 attackers coming down the right side, with the attacker about 15 yards inside and his Support player running near the touchline. Once the attackers get about midway into the opposing half (or slightly deeper), they will want to move the ball into the central goal area (because shots have a higher percentage rate in the central area). The final pass before they head towards goal usually will be to the inside player in a 2v1 attack and, as soon as the pass has been made, the Support player will sprint to overlap behind the on-ball player and head towards the goal, using a curved run so that he can see the other attacker and accept a dropped pass if one is sent. Ideally, the Support player wants to be able to get to the far side of the defender, so that the defender (and the keeper) cannot watch him and the on-ball attacker at the same time. However, because he wants the ball to be able to see his feet, the Support player probably wants to stay at the top of the PA in order to keep the drop option open until another option (such as a square pass) becomes more likely from the angle and positioning of the dribbler. Simply by his presence, the Support player is likely to draw the defender towards him (because he is so dangerous in the central area). As a result, there is a big possibility that space may open up on the back post for a shot by the dribbler. The coach will have to exercise judgment in deciding whether to restrict players from taking obvious shots and, if such restrictions are imposed, look for ways to release them as quickly as possible so that finishing continues to be encouraged.
The coach should realize that decisions to shoot or pass are made in split seconds, as are the decisions to stay put or make a run. Miscues will be common in the early stages, and it is easy for the coach and players to become frustrated or to conclude that this stuff doesn't work. This is a time when the coach must become a cheerleader, and constantly look for ways to praise the effort and to praise the idea, even where the execution leaves something to be desired. With practice, the players will grasp these concepts, and start to make impressive scoring runs of which everyone will be proud.
Moving to 3v1 Finishing Work
When you add another player, the objectives and positioning remain very similar to those used in 2-man attacking. During the field possession stage, the two support players will form a moving triangle with the on-ball player. One will tend to get to the space to the side/rear of the defender (i.e., will move into the typical space occupied if there was only 1 supporting attacker), while the additional support player will try to assist in penetrating the defense more quickly by taking a more forward position. If he is faster than the defense and the ball is in the opponent's half, he will want to get to a position which allows the ball to be played into space behind the defender and give him an unobstructed run towards goal. However, if he is slower than the defense or the ball is in his own half, he will simply take position ahead of the ball which allows him to provide adequate support.
This triangular positioning involves the same concepts used in keep away and allows the ball to be moved past the defenders through short passes. The coach will want to emphasize and reemphasize the importance of these triangles, as the ability to quickly set support triangles is the litmus test for really good teams.
Once the 3-man group has successfully maintained their triangles and have moved the ball into scoring range, the rear player in the supporting triangle typically will peel off to make the looping run to the far post (i.e., he will make the same run as the supporting attacker in a 2-man combo). The other support player typically will move to take up a position in the vicinity of the near post (although he normally will be stationed at the top of the PA in order to be able to serve as an outlet player if needed - or as a shooter - or as a relay to the far post attacker). Thus, when in position, the supporting players continue to form a triangle with the ball - and continue to allow the ball to see their feet. The only difference is that, instead of trying to provide outlets for the ball into safe space, they are now trying to provide outlets for the ball which will permit an immediate shot attempt.
Some examples of three-man combination patterns are:
• A square passes to B, a C checks towards B; B plays a long forward ball to C as A runs forward; C lays off the ball to A and spins away; A passes to C; the next sequence begins with B checking as A and C pass back and forth.
• A dribbles towards B; B overlaps A, the plays a ball forward to a checking C; C lays off to B and spins away, receiving a return pass from B.
• A square passes to B, a C checks towards B; B plays a long forward ball to C and makes a long wide run forward; C drops to A and A makes a long direct pass forward towards B; C spins after the drop and receives the next pass from B.
How These Principles Relate to Larger Group Attacks
All movements in soccer "key" off of the actions by this primary group of 3 players around the ball. To illustrate this point, let's say that you are going to work on 6v4 attacking (something which occurs often in a game setting of 11v11). The fundamental need for the support triangle will still be there, so the nearest 2 players will serve the role of close support. The remaining 3 attackers usually will be allocated by sending two to provide deep penetration options (near/far post) and one to act as a pivot player/defender. By doing this, the team can more quickly get the ball into scoring range without loss of possession - and already will have players in place to make near/far post runs. Thus, the additional players simply make the game go faster because other players already are in the necessary space - and also cuts down on the number of runs needed from the close support players (so they don't get as tired).
Thus, once the players understand how the 3 primary attackers players should move, they will know where to move themselves (as it will be instantly clear when they are simply filling in and making the same run to the same place where they would have gone in a 2-man or 3-man attack). In turn, this makes it easier for them to read the other players, and to automatically know where their help is needed.
Most coaches will not introduce 3-man patterns until around u12, instead devoting the early years to work on basic skills and 2-man attacking patterns. However, this brief discussion is included in this Manual, because it is important for new coaches to understand how the basic 2-man and 3-man patterns link together (and why small group work is so important for the long term development of their players).
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