One thing that a new coach needs to figure out when learning how to coach soccer is how to develop a team philosophy based on the players that are available. There are many different tactics that a coach could use during a game. Being able to adapt your teams style of play will make the teams success much more likely.
It is very frustrating to watch is a coach that has already decided what style of soccer to play, regardless of the talent on the team. These coaches may know how to coach soccer, but they are not good at adapting.
Let’s start by looking at one of the most popular formations, the 4-4-2 formation. This formation uses 4-defenders, 4-midfileders, and 2-forwards. This formation gives a team a nice balance of offense and defense. The way a lot of coaches like to use this formation is to have the team “push up” when they are on offense. What that means is that the players move further up the field as the ball moves up the field. When the offensive team attacks with the forwards, the midfielders move up to help with the attack, The defenders then move up to midfield to provide support. This is a good style of play as long as your defenders are fast enough to fall back on defense in the event of a fast break. If your opponent has some speedy forwards, and can play the ball long, your defenders must be able to get back quickly to provide defensive pressure.
The problem comes when the defenders are not very fast, but pushing up is the only style of play the coach uses. The defenders do what they are told and move up to midfield. When the other team has a fast break opportunity, the defenders cannot get back fast enough. The opposing team can now go one-on-one or two-on-one against the goal keeper, which is a matchup that favors the attackers. The opposing team scores, and the defenders get yelled at for not falling back fast enough.
Look at your team. You see them every day at practice. You know what they are capable of. If you have slower players on defense, adapt your style of play so they do not push up as far, and have less distance to cover on defense. If you have faster players, by all means push up to provide more offensive pressure on your opponent.
Part of learning how to coach soccer is learning different variations on basic formations that allow you to take advantage of your teams strengths, and minimize their weaknesses. You need to learn how to give your players the best opportunity for success. Do not fall into a routine based on what worked for you for one season. Every team, and every season is different. Learn to adapt. That is how you learn to coach soccer.
