Lacking Subtlety

Brazilian U-17s showed an understanding absent in U.S. players
By Jay Martin

It was a tournament that featured the best U-17’s from the United States against four teams from Brazil. Each ODP Region sent its best. Yes, there were a few players missing, and the U.S. players had not had much of a chance to play or practice together, but the results still were a problem. The young American players struggled against Brazilians of the same age. Three of the four Brazilian teams were from professional clubs (Guarani, Corinthians, Mogi Mirim and the amateur ALEC, the host team). The host team was beaten by all four American teams and Region IV even won three of four games, but there was a huge difference in the way the Brazilians played and the way the Americans played.

After a great year in 2002 for U.S. soccer, our soccer community felt very good. We felt good about where we were internationally, how far we have come in the last few years and how well we fared in the World Cup. We began to look forward to bigger and better results on the international stage. The Torneio Aguas de Lindoi de Futebol Internacional showed all who attended that in spite of these lofty accomplishments and expectations, we are not there yet.

Coaches in most other soccer-playing countries admit that American players can compete very well internationally until the ages of 15-17. Why? Why do our players from 15-17 begin to fall behind international players in other soccer-playing countries?  It appears that significant changes must be made in our soccer culture in order for Americans to compete at the highest level.

Jay Vidovich (Wake Forest), Doug Allison (Furman) and Paul McGinlay (Trinity of Texas) led the Region III delegation. When asked about the differences between the Brazilians and Americans, these coaches concluded:

• The Brazilians were comfortable with the ball. Their technique and first touch were superior. That allowed the players to focus on the tactics of the game.
• The Brazilians demonstrated a superior tactical understanding of group play (i.e. defenders, attackers), possession play, playing without the ball and an overall better understanding of the game. For example, the Brazilians continually attacked with five or six players. The American teams attacked with two or three players.
• The Brazilians had a better understanding of and were able to read the critical moments in a game. They understood when a risk was worth taking at both ends of the field. And their overall gamesmanship was far superior to the U.S. boys.
• The speed of play of the Brazilians with the ball and without the ball was vastly superior to the efforts of the Americans. The Americans simply could not play at speed.
• The Brazilians demonstrated a high work rate. In spite of the perceptions of many, the Brazilians work very hard. They work hard individually and together. They know when the game demands a high work rate and play with great effort.
• The Brazilians demonstrated sophistication in the attacking third that the American players did not. The Brazilian teams never settled for dumping the ball into the box. They would try to combine with teammates to get into the box. They demonstrated a “patient urgency” that allowed many more dangerous opportunities in the final third.

“Every thing about the Brazilian teams was more intense,” Vidovich said, “from game preparation (warm-up), to individual defending to an urgency to attack the goal.”

Allison added, “Their knowledge of the game and gamesmanship was much better than that of our kids. But it was their passion to play, their desire to become a professional that really separated the Brazilians from the Americans.”

We all know that social and culture factors influence how different countries play soccer. It is clear that Americans cannot play like the Germans, the English or Brazilians and we should not try. We don’t want to replicate the Brazilian societal situation to make our players better. But, the disparity was huge. The challenge for the American coach and club is to improve the play of our youth players within the parameters of the American society.

We can do it. We must have a better understanding of the final product. What do our players need to compete at the highest level? How can we create an environment that will allow the players to reach a proficiency at the international level?

The biggest difference between the Brazilian players and the American players was that the Americans did not demonstrate any understanding of the subtleties of the game. And that affects what coaches do during every training session.

Subtleties of any game usually are developed “in the sandlot” when the players are young. We all learned how to play sports as we grew up by playing with other kids in the neighborhood. We learned what we had to do to win. If you lost, your team was off the court or field.

These are the same subtleties American basketball players learn on the street and that is what separates our basketball players from players from other countries. These are the same subtleties that allowed Germany to defeat the U.S. at the World Cup.

Subtle is defined in the dictionary as “mentally keen, crafty, not obvious, delicately skillful.” A subtle event during a soccer game is something the player should just do. These skills are developed over time and from many different types of playing experiences. These skills are not teachable. They must be learned by the player.

Since players today do not play “in the street” any longer, the coach must create an environment in training to allow the learning process to happen. For example, any activity that is competitive in training will help the player learn how to win or to survive. Therefore, almost all training activities can be made competitive.

Even a shooting drill where the losing team does extra running or push-ups will add urgency where subtleties can be learned. Or, a continuous game with three teams in which two teams play and the third team runs around the field. The first team to score one goal wins and stays on the field. The losing team changes places with the third team and runs around the field while the other two play.

There are many subtleties that are necessary for a player to be successful in a soccer game. In Brazil, the American players did not show to the ball properly, did not receive the ball properly, did not make the runs that the situation demanded and in the final third were content to dump the ball into the box.

The Brazilian players did not make a mistake. The increased time this gave the Brazilians and the time lost by the Americans caused a huge disparity in play. The Brazilians had time to play the game, the Americans did not. American players cannot compete internationally when they play this way.

So, we know where we are. Now we must begin to understand where we must be. This applies to coaches at all levels. Certainly all of our players will not play at the highest level, but it is the responsibility of all coaches to provide an environment in which all players will get better. It is the responsibility of all coaches to ensure that their players begin to learn and understand the subtleties of the game.

The Administrator wants to know what you think about our country’s current position in youth soccer development.  Do you agree with Dr. Martin, or do you have a different opinion.  Let us know!  Post a comment below, send an email to Jon@bluesombrero.com, or call 404-835-0305.

Comments

[Laura Sachs]

Americans are simply over-coached. They don't play soccer on their own. They don't watch soccer on their own. They look to the coach for every move. This is a hold-over from football coaching in the US. We coaches need to leave them alone to let the game be the teacher.

[Cregg Bossard]

This article partially addresses a an issue that I have discussed for years. The problem with American youth soccer isnt that kids don't have fine coaches, great facilities and commtted parents, it is that kids don't think they can play without a coach, jerseys, goals, nice grassy field, parents on the sidelines, etc. Sadly, clubs, coaches and parents promote that model of soccer in the U.S. I have seen Latin American kids on a dirt, rockstrewn field with a ball that I would have tossed in the garbage, playing with grace, skill and joy. No coach, no club, no parents. I thought the article was on the right track in promoting sandlot soccer. But then after making a great case, Mr. Martin veered off course by describing the activities that a coach can do in practice to approximate sandlot soccer. SORRY, you cannot fake sandlot, it simply doesn't work that way. Until kids willingly gather their friends to go play friendly sandlot soccer, they will never develop the subtlety of play that others in the world have. What clubs, coaches and parents need to figure out, is how to break the current soccer model and infuse kids with the passion and desire to play with their friends on the street for hours. Two to four hours of formal coaching per week will never come close to 20 - 30 hours a week of sandlot soccer. Why do Latin Americans and European kids play sandlot soccer for hours a day? Because they love it! Their brothers play soccer, their fathers play soccer and their heroes play soccer. The challange for U.S. clubs and coaches is to instill that kind of love of the game so that kids will want to go play sandlot.

[Bill Zimmer]

This was a good read. IMO there is currently a feeding frenzy of European and South/Central American coaches who are capitalizing on the ignorance of this simple point of subtelty. As a result, people are willing to spend thousands on their children's soccer development. This lack of creativity and sponteneity needs to be promoted and encouraged at the highest levels of soccer, and coaches need to identify players with high soccer IQ's. Until this happens the US mens team will continue to be an undesirable, defensively oriented, boring style, and we will continue to have an inferiority complex with regard to international matches. Just turn your channel to a La LIga game from an MLS game and you will immediately see the difference. Good article!

[JoeMed Soccer Player and Coach]

This information was not surprising and will take generations to overcome. It is our culture not just the instruction.
Soccer is not Our game, kids do not get the subtle concepts because it is not on TV or part of the Sports Talk. Americans can not bite into a sport that has 0-0 tie or 1-0, and does not tolerate fights.

There are philosophies coaches can be introducing and distilling in kids starting a U10, and AYSO philosophies begin at all levels. We are playing soccer from 20 years ago and AYSO has moved us to a world competitor. It will take some time for these youths to become coaches. How many soccer coaches today were serious youth players.
The same concepts are in baseball or basketball and the parents can talk to there kids about the performance because they played and follow it.
Pick Up Soccer at the park, not common anywhere I have lived, unless you are Latino. I watch soccer on TV in Spanish even when it is in English. I do not want to hear a bunch of stats that are how Americans rate other sports. I rather listen to the rhythm of the announcer and enjoy the play.

Soccer in America is like basketball in other countries. It is a great sport but it rocks in America. It is the worlds goal to beat America. It is our goal to beat anyone consistently in soccer. The goal is not to win a game or Cup but to embrace the game.

JoeMed i love this game.
player since 1972 youth Coach since 2002