Center Backs Profile (#4,#5)
- Technical
- Marking, tracking, intercepting and tackling
- Heading, 1- touch passing on aerial serves
- Passing to penetrate (all service types)
- Dominating 1v1 situations (heading, tackling and
intercepting) - Range of passing (through, over and around defensive
block) - Tackling
- Defending set pieces
- First touch
- Defending crosses
- Variations in passing ability and range
- Attacking set pieces (aerial play attacking)
- Tactical
- Decide, execute-mark opponent or mark space
- Build- out, possession, tempo in central channel
- Organize, direct outside backs and Central Midfielders
- Understanding when to jump and when to stay back
- Zonal marking, anticipation and preventive actions (shifting, stepping, dropping, and covering movements)
- Reading and breaking pressure (calm and decisive)
- Physical
- Aerial-Maximum use of height, explosive movement
- Reaction Speed- adjust to ball, opponent movement
- Agility- change direction in response to cues
- Mental
- Decisive leader- command and direct teammates
- Control and composure under pressure
- Focus- assess and prepare when ball is away
- Leading defensive organization
- Confident
- Communication to organized players defensively
- Aggression
OFFENSIVE
BUILD UP PHASE OFFENSIVE
OFFENSIVE
ADVANCEMENT PHASE OFFENSIVE
OFFENSIVE
CHANCE CREATION/SCORING PHASE
TRANSITION
ATTACKING TO DEFENDING
- Awareness of opponent’s press to find free player.
- Recirculate the ball through GK
- Willingness to break the opponent’s lines with runs or penetrating
- pass.
- Play diagonal to weak side (find Midfielders)
- When team progress, push up to condense space (keep
- compactness)
- Start attack on one side; finish on the other
- Quick ball circulation to move opponent and open space to CM
- Play diagonal to weak side (find Midfielders)
- Play deep into the Forward
- Play diagonal balls to the Wingers running behind.
- Position to support if the ball cannot be played forward
- Awareness of positional spacing and movement (preventing counterattack)
- Maintain vertical compactness, push forward to condense field
- Close the middle, mark and cover
- Three players (i.e. CM and/or FBs) create a “triangle net” at the top of the penalty box
- After loss of possession
- Nearest player pressures the ball.
- Surrounding teammates close passing lanes to make pass Predictable.
- Drop and regain shape
- Mark player in possession to win ball or foul
- Cbs covering and marking while closing the middle
- Delay
- Back line drops towards our goal to condense space behind the line
- Leave the line, address to the ball
- The back line has been established and we have a numerical advantage
- The opponent is in dangerous shooting distance (22 yards)
- In wide positions, defender closing down the ball denies far post angle and makes the shot predictable
DEFENSIVE
PRESS
DEFENSIVE
MID BLOCK DEFENDING
DEFENSIVE
DEFENSIVE THIRD
TRANSITION
DEFENDING TO ATTACKING
- Maintain vertical compactness while attacking
Coordinate team movement to move forward as FW and AM begins to press (Compactness).- Intercept long and through passes
- Prevent Central Passes
- Position to monitor opponent and analyze situation to determine correct defensive action-pressure, cover, balance, zonal or man marking, etc. Movements and decisions in partnership with other center back
- Prevent Central Passes
- Build Pressure on the Ball when Cover is Present to block shots
- Reduce Space Between Teammates in Red Zone
- As teammate leaves line to pressure ball, surrounding players shift to protect the middle
- Marking inside the box
- Protect first post
- Complete first pass. Furthest safe pass possible, preferably forward or diagonal
- No pressure
- Pass – Longest forward, safe pass available
- Dribble – Isolate defender to create numerical advantage
- Under pressure
- Pass out of pressure