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Exceptional parents = exceptional kids. 12 families attended, plus one over long distance from Toronto. Whispers was noisy!




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Tournament August 21 2010

They are the nicest players a coach can hope for.

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August 18 Post Match notes

What else to say... That was the best Blue Lightning performance to date against a strong team with great players. The team had awesome defending, precision efficient scoring, they just played like one solid block. And two disallowed goals!

However, the best, and what really counts is that all season long they played fair and behaved nicely.

Goals scored: 33, goals against: 7, 1 loss

Our main goalie suffered an amazing.... 1 goal the entire season, and he scored 2 himself! Outstanding.

They are also the nicest group of soccer kids I have ever seen.

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August 18, Day 13

Warm-up, Denilson sance, head up, roll ball, always moving 5
Offer support: Stay Away 3
Defender runs fast on wings, centers 5
Defending free kicks 4
Board
Throw-ins 3
Corner kicks II 5
Free kicks: F and D 5
Headers, crosses, diving headers 10
Chest and shoot 10
Defensive methods; Tackles 6
Wall Pass 8

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Practice Saturday August 21

The kids defeated parents 12x11. A penalty shootout followed for fun.

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Folha Seca Shot

Gustavo's attempt at Didi's Folha Seca shot. he shoots, he scores!

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August 11, Post Match Notes

What a team! It was a superb effort against a very tough team. Blue Lightning hanged on and held them scoreless for about 35 minutes, then reacted and managed to tie the match.

Amazing team effort: forwards running back and helping the defense, defenders supporting forwards. Also, our goalie made a spectacular beautiful save in the first half.

Well done!

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August 11, Day 12

Warm-up, running passes on 3,step on, always moving 5
Offer support: Stay Away 10
Defender runs fast on wings, centers 10
Turns (inside, outside, Cruyff) 8
Board 5
Throw-ins 3
Corner kicks 5
Free kicks 5
Headers, high and low (diving headers) 8 59
Volleys 10
Kick-offs 4

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July 28, Post Match Notes

A great match for Blue Lightning last night. Our players did quite well and are starting to get the concept of 'support using open spaces'. When one of our players has the ball, the others need to offer support. Offensive support is given by:
  • one player staying behind the player with the ball (in case he loses the ball)
  • the other players staying away from the ball and going into and using open free spaces
Defensive support is given by the system of first defender + 2nd defender plus all or most forwards coming back to help the defense.

Our players did great by playing hard for the other team. Team has been doing well lately. Confidence is good, but overconfidence is no, something to watch out for.

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July 28, Day 10

Warm-up, running passes on 3,step on, always moving 5
Offer support: Stay Away 10
Pass to defender running on wings, center 10
Game 12
Throw-ins 3
Corner kicks 5
Free kicks 5
Headers 8 58
Volleys 8
Emerson move, both sides 5

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Nikki

Gustavo's favorite singer was in Ottawa Saturday. He took this picture of her:


She was simply spectacular. Fans were treated to something truly quite special. Watch video:

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Saturday July 24: Soccer and Rockets

It was an awesome day for soccer and rockets!

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Video Analysis, John and Noah

Here is the video analysis of both John ad Noah's instep drive shots. Interestingly, both have similar movements.

John shows great back swing. For a more powerful shot, at the point of contact his knee and chest should be over the ball, not behind it. Also, he is hitting with the front left corner of his foot as opposed to dead on center, which would give him more power. He has some follow-through, which should be oriented more forward as opposed to sideways (he is slightly off balance)..



Noah:

Similar to John, same comments above apply. Also, he is dropping his body at the time of contact as opposed to following through forward. Note how his foot sticks out to the right at the end, because he is hitting with the inside left of the foot as opposed to dead center.

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July 21, Post Match Notes

Players did very well last night. It was a nice game, nice players and coaches on the other side. Our players are starting to spread out a little more, we still need to work on it. When one of our players has possession, the others need to offer support but "stay away" and move into open space.
 
Players are to be congratulated for volunteering to play on the other team as they were short of players. This is what it is all about.
 
Offside. We went through simplified offside rules yesterday, but kids get excited and get caught offside. The benefit wit offside is with the players on this as it is very easy for players to avoid being offside, while it is much harder for the ref. to apply all the rules. The rules are in the easy-to-read FIFA rules book with several scenarios shown in graphic form. Please if possible have your child read the book pages 31, and 100 to 108, available off our site (Resources section) or directly at http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/81/42/36/lawsofthegameen.pdf
 
Actually, the whole book is a great read.
 
Sportsmanship: We also went through some do's and dont's:
 
 
Do’s:
Do thank the referee and tell him he did a good job
Do congratulate and encourage your teammates
Do congratulate opponents on good plays
 
Do not’s:
Do not complain about a referee’s decision; do not dissent with a ref's decision
Do not try to influence the referee’s decision
Do not fake or exagerate injuries
Do not complain if your teammate loses the ball or makes a bad play
Do not lie
Do not spit
Do not swear or use foul/ugly language

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July 21, Day 9

Warm-up, running passes on 3,step on, always moving 5
Off-side (board) 5
Positioning (Board) 5
Corner kicks, drills, moving 10
Penalty kicks (team) 5
Goal kicks 5
Throw-ins 4
Sportsmanship 5 44
Not bunching up 10
Free kicks 5
Ball clearance 3 62
Midfield Long passes 8
Pass to defender running on wings 10

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Saturday July 17 Match

This Saturday kids had a blast at soccer -literally, several times actually.



The match kids vs parents was decided by a penalty shoot-out, where after 5 shots the shootout score was 2-2, going into sudden death shootout, kids finally winning.

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Can The Goalie Take Shots on Goal?

One of our players asked yesterday if the goalkeeper could take corner shots. The answer is yes, but that would be difficult as the goalie needs to run back to his net after taking the corner.

However, goalies can take free kicks and penalty shots much more easily. In fact, the goalie of my home team, Sao Paulo FC, is the goalie that has scored the most goals ever (91 total, list), he is the holder of the Guinness World Record. At age 37 he is still the goalkeeper number one and he is a great sportsman. He is a triple World Club champion.

Here is a goal against Santos earlier in 2009:





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July 14, Post Match Notes

Another hot day, another great effort and good result against a very tough team which was short of players. Some of our players did our corner kick move during the match, it was a pleasure to see.

A couple of forwards displayed great speed and were even caught off-side a few times (we will be practicing off-sides). Forwards must be fast. Ball clearance needs work. There were some too slow clearances, as well as using the center instead of the sides.

We have talked and will talk again about sportsmanship: Things like never complain about a teammate, opponent, ref, coach or parents during the match, never fake injuries, never lie, never swear, no spitting, don't make fun of players, etc. Our players are great in this regards.

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July 14 Plans, Day 8

Warm-up, running passes,step on, always moving 5
Corner kicks 7
Olympics 18
Stay Away, Sportsmanship 5

G4 Bunching up drill 12
Pass to defender running on outside 10
Cone display, offensive, defensive support, stay away 6
63

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Saturday Soccer

It was a fabulous day for soccer. Some old friends showed up, and cold yummy watermelon for all (thanks Tom!)

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Chip Shots and Bending the Ball

Last week players started learning the chip shot and bending the ball. Gustavo demonstrates both.

Chip shot.

The chip shot is a fabulous weapon for going over the opponents but it is also a great passing shot because it spins backwards and does not cause the ball to speed away from the receiver. It also stays low once it hits the ground again. You can see this on the video. It makes the life of the receiver much easier. Together with a low rolling ball it is my favorite shot for passing.



Bending the ball:

Scoring when there is no direct line of sight. The ball goes around the wall and curves back in:

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July 7, Post Match Notes

It was a great match last night, players never stopped running and playing hard in the +34C heat. They played as a team. Things to work on:
  • spreading out, not bunching up around the ball
  • providing support for the forwards
  • more passing, but before that there needs to be someone to pass to
 We will also be working on ball handling skills.

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July 7, Day 7

Warm-up, spot the coach, step on, side to side, sole to sole, on toes, dynamic stretching, always moving 5


Pass to defender running outside, with ball protection 15
Plus Defense positioning 10


Corner kicks 8
Turns, inside, outside, cruyff 12
Speed Dribble cones and shoot 10


Game, forwards outside of cones only 15



75

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Air Show July 4th

For the other players who like airplanes, a video of the 2010 Air show on July 4th, featuring several aircraft. The snowbirds were amazing.

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June 30, Post Match Notes

Amazingly, we had all players in - the night before Canada day.

It was a superb effort for our players, under very difficult weather conditions, cold, rainy, and muddy field. The team played an outstanding first half, when they were spreading themselves out much better, which was the objective of a couple of our practices.

During the 2nd half, players bunched up again and that makes scoring much harder, in fact no scoring happened. However, players are to be commended for still running hard under those conditions. Awesome job.

Areas for improvement:

- Spreading out, using open spaces
- Use of wide sidelines/wings
- Forwards coming back to help when we lose the ball
- Players arriving on time for practice!

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June 30, Day 6

Warm-up, step on, side to side, sole to sole, on toes, dynamic stretching, always moving 5
Passing grid 12
2/3-Nets WC 12
Attack: use sidelines, support, spread out , open space 12
Defense 12


Olympics 10
Short game 10

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Brazil vs Chile


An extra home work for the players: to watch potentially the best match of the 2010 World Cup: Brazil vs Chile on Monday at 2:15PM. (CBC). It is rather unfortunate that these two teams are playing each other so early in the cup, but it is what it is.

Brazil and Chile were the top two qualifiers in South America. Brazil and Chile have played each other 65 times, with 46 victories for Brazil, 7 for Chile, and 12 draws. Brazil scored 152 times, Chile 55. History clearly favors Brazil, but this is the best Chilean side ever. What they lack in skills, they more than make up for with their hearts and they only know how to attack. Brazil knows how to defend and how to attack so it should be the best match.

Players to watch for skills:
  • Chile: Sanchez, Valdivia
  • Brazil: Kaka, Lucio (defense), Maicon (defense), Robinho, Elano

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Post Match, June 23

Blue Lightning players did well. Once again, goalkeepers were outstanding.

A few things to work on:

- increased use the sidelines/wings (not the crowded center)
- players without the ball should move into open space
- forwards should run faster
- more passing, less crowding of the ball
- forwards not coming back to help defense. Sometimes forwards go to attack and they forget to come back

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June 23, Day 5

After a 5.5 earthquake this afternoon, for a change, the forecast is for rain only after 8PM!


Warm-up, step on, side to side, sole to sole, on toes, dynamic stretching, always moving 5
Protect & Pass Deep, Center 15
Defending, positioning drill 15
Fake, Turn around and shoot 7
Passing, cone grid 12
Photo 10
Small Game 10
74

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Denilson Move

Shall we dance? This is the Denilson Move. 6 out of 7 are doing it correctly!



The move was used later during the match! These moves are constantly used in Brazilian players - on moving balls, you can see them in the South Africa Cup.

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Robinho Pass, Elano Run

In our practice the players did the Robinho pass and the Elano Run.





Beautifully done!

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June 16, Post Match Notes

That was a fantastic performance from the team. Our players were really running hard and helping the defense. We also had a very good practice session in which we introduced tactical concepts which were used during the match.

The great stuff:

  • Great running and disposition, great attitude
  • Awesome goal keeping
  • A lot more use of the sidelines

Areas for improvement:
  • Faster speeds in running forward, 
  • More use of sidelines (wings)
  • More passing, with more accuracy and more power
  • Defensive organization
  • A few players still using toes
  • Still have many players not paying attention during practice forces us to repeat explanations and wasting time

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Day 4, June 16

Forecast is for rain, yet again.


Warm-up, side to side, sole to sole, on toes, dynamic stretching, always moving, no flat feet 5
Attack, basic, pass along sidelines, score 15
Attack, pass along sidelines, center 10
Sidelines defending 15
Maicon move 8
photo 10
Short small game 15
Juggle challenge update 1
79

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June 9, Post Match Notes

A great effort by the team; it was a tough match. The goalies were great and prevented many goals.

Areas of improvement:

- Ball clearance from defensive zone: at least 2 goals were given to the opposition by our defenders shooting the ball towards the middle, where the ball can be easily intercepted by the opposing attackers. Defenders must use the sidelines instead
- Forwards should use the sidelines, and should run fast
- Forwards must come back running really fast to help defense when they lose the ball and the other team is attacking (on several occasions this did not happen)
- Some players are not in good shape and were tired
- There is too much chatting during practice; players must pay attention to what the coach is saying


We will work on all these things next weeks.

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Day 3, June 9

Warm-up, side to side, sole to sole, on toes, dynamic stretching, always moving 5
WC pong, individual shots 15
PKs 8
Receiving ball: passes side by side, both feet 6
Kicking the ball Part II, side foot, instep (laces), New: pass with outside of foot 7
Spot the coach, wp 7
Juggle results 3
Team formation defense 3
Team formation attack 3
Throw-ins 1
Substitutions 0.5

58.5

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Jairzinho Move

Players practiced variants of the Jairzinho moves. They are like sponges and have already nearly mastered the move. In fact, one of the players used it during the game afterward.

Peter does a very good demo of the Jairzinho move (ballless variant):

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Power Shot Video Analysis

Gustavo shows a great backswing and great ball contact. Follow-through and balance could be improved and his chest should be a bit more forward over the ball. Note how he lands backwards, he should land forwards on his kicking foot to increase the power of the shot.




Peter shows a very good shot as well, good backswing and good contact and some follow-through. His chest should also be a bit more over the ball at contact:



Tristan shows good backswing and follow-through; his non-kicking foot is a bit too far back from the ball, and his chest and kicking knee should be over the ball. Being behind the ball they force his body to drop a bit too much. Left arm should be forward for balance:





Thomas shows good backswing and solid ball contact with the laces. His left foot is well placed beside the ball. His left arm is correctly upfront but moves back too early; it should remain forward to help complete the follow-through, stepping forward after the ball is hit.




For a  good professional explanation, please see this post in the Resources section.

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Saturday Fun Game

Turned out to be a beautiful day. Some great passing can be seen.

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Blue Lightning

The players have voted. The name of their team is Blue Lightning.

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June 2nd, Post Match

The match itself was a wash-out as it was canceled only 2 minutes in due to lightning. At least we got some practice going, although under not very pleasant conditions and many players being late.

It is crucial that the players practice those skills: hard shots with the laces part of the shoes and accurate shots with side of the foot, with both the strong and the weak foot, and never using toes.

The players also got their health check from the referee :-)

Players have a juggling challenge to practice as well. They all can succeed at it if they practice every day (if they have time!). It helps if they practice facing a wall to stop run away balls. It also helps to deflate the ball a little and use regular sports shoes. The players were show how to progress with this exercise.

Parents may wish to wipe clean the inside and outside of their soccer cleats. This exercise we did yesterday is an eye-opener for the kids on how to strike a ball.

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Day 2, June 2nd

Tentative.

Warm-up, side, sole, dynamic stretching 5
Kicking the ball, shoeless, side foot, instep (laces) 15
Take shots, instep, long 10
Take shots, inside, short 10
Juggle challenge 7
Always moving (no flat foots) 3
Free kick, Indirect kick 5
Team name 5
Basic team formation, defence 5
Throw-ins 1
Substitutions 1
Spot the coach 7

69

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A Very Slow Player

This morning at Lincoln Fields park, there was no official practice or game, but players showed up anyway, including a very, very, very slow player:



You can see one of the Team Blue players in the background. Does anyone know who he is?

As for the slow player, many questions remain unanswered: where did it come from, how did it get there, and why did the turtle cross the road?




Traffic was chaotic. Luckily it was not rush hour.

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Team Name

Next week the players will choose a team name. Two very good suggestions were mentioned Wednesday:

  • Atlantis
  • Blueberries
Any other suggestions, please post as comments to this post. We also need a team cheer.

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May 26, Post Match

Team 2 players did awesome, incredible running with very high temperatures. There were many 'giants' on the field for our team, particularly those who kept running all the way back from the attack to help defense when needed. Those were huge efforts. We had spectacular goal tending from both keepers.

One of the planned activities (how to properly kick a ball) could not be executed yesterday due to lack of time and the general first day chaos. It is perhaps the most important basic skill so we will take our time with it next week

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First Day, May 26

Our first day is tomorrow May 26. Forecast is for a beautiful and warm day. Please bring plenty of water (and/or Gatorade).

6PM, McKellar Park.

First day is more of  a 'getting to know you' session and the first fun game. With the temperatures and possible delays we won't be able to run much anyway; plans will be 'dynamic'.

Plan:

  • Getting to know you
  • Intro for parents
  • Uniform distribution
  • Parent monster game
  • Proper ball kick intro (laces, inside of foot only)
  • Number players, Pass the ball in circle/Giant star
  • Basic tactics

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