Soccer drill tips for attacking from the front

Young strikers are often too eager to get the ball and come back deep into their own half. This soccer drill gives the opposition the chance to push up even when they haven't got the ball. An attacker is far easier to see and mark if he is too deep in his own half.

Take a look at this diagram showing the tactics involved in this move:

push your striker forward to create space

Soccer drill tips

The white team are trying to play the ball out from defense. The number 3 has a number of options, but the attacker 9 wants the ball too soon so he goes deep to persuade the defender to pass to him. In this position the grey number 2 can easily see and close down with a chance of winning the ball right in front of goal.

The other two grey defenders can also push up tight on the two wide men without fear of a long ball or quick pass inside to set the number 9 free. To make this situation work, the white players will have to work very hard to gain any ground.

In diagram 2 the white number 9 is forward on the half way line. The number 3 can easily play the ball into his number 8 who is less tightly marked because grey number 4 is less sure about how far into the opposition half he can push.

Number 9 can then move down the line to receive a pass from number 8 or be ready for a ball over the top from number 3.

There are lots more possibilities in diagram 2, because the game is much more open with the number 9 dragging players away from his team's danger area.

Soccer coaching tips


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