ODP TRAINING ITEMS

Training has been going excellent. Last nights was one of the best with the oldest 3 teams training and playing each other. A couple of observations for the players to attend to:
1) Bring and wear shinguards
2) Bring to the field a properly inflated ball
3) BE WARMED UP/STRETCHED ON YOUR OWN BY 6:30. We do not want to spend 15-20 minutes of our valuable time doing warm-up.
4) If you are arriving late then be sure YOU ARE FULLY DRESSED BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR. Too many people come late and then are putting socks on at the field - something that can be done on the car!

As far as the play goes:
DEFENSIVE:
POSITIONING, POSITIONING, POSITIONING ! This is such an iimportant area. Read the game ahead of time and get into good positions early. It was one of the most common shouts from the coaches last night: "If you had been in position earlier then they wouldn't have played the ball."
In defending - positioning is everything. Get into good, early position and contiually adjust relative to the ball, opponents and your teammates.

OFFENSIVE:
SPEED OF PLAY !
Each step up the ladder of play in soccer require one thing above anything else - faster tactical decisions, faster technical executions and faster transition from offensive to defense and defense to offense. Your focus in every training session must be to play faster. This is the number one issue that came out of the international trips as well. The lack of time and space that opponents gave us created difficulties for us. Remember - there is a difference between playing faster and rushing your play. Playing faster can be as simple as taking 2 touches instead of 3 to make the same pass or to play that same pass at a faster speed. It also means getting into supporting positions earlier - this allows your teammates a better chance of playing faster.

Keep up the good work as we enter the final weeks of preparation for the ODP tournament.