A YouTube video for this post appears at by clicking on the following link.

BVB Dortmund clearly wanted to secure three points in their pursuit of a Champions League spot for next year, and playing at home against 14th place VFL Wolfsburg would appear to be a slam dunk for them.  That is until a referee can issue a send-off for an imaginary hand-ball in the box.  It was about the 35th minute when Dortmund’s keeper Weidenfeller was caught off his line – the ball comes to the top of the penalty area to a Wolfsburg attacker who shoots the ball on goal, as Dortmund’s left-back Schmelzerwas retreating to cover for the stranded Weidenfeller.

The shot (not a powerful one, by any means), glanced off Schmelzer’s left thigh towards his right leg near his groin area while his left hand appeared to be trying to protect his private parts.  Upon very close inspection, the ball never touched his hand.  It was a matter of a centimeter or two.

But in fast play, the referee thought that the ball touched Schemelzer’s hand.  So the PK was given to Wolfsburg, and what was even more painful for Dortmund, Schmelzer was issued a red card and so BVB had to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

The replays, commentators and even the referee himself acknowledged after the match that it wasn’t a handball and that Dortmund was unfairly punished.  In an interview with reporters after the match, referee Stark said, “I looked at it again later and unfortunately it was an error of perception on my part.  I’m sorry, that should not happen.  The penalty and the red card were a mistake on my part.  That’s annoying.”

This explains why later on in the 2nd half, Stark tried to compensate for his mistake by calling a PK for Dortmund, evidently for a push by a Wolfsburg defender against Lewandowski in the penalty area.  But again, the video replays clearly showed that the Wolfsburg defender Kjaer never really pushed the Dortmund attacker.  Commentators remarked that referee Stark was merely trying to compensate Dortmund for the earlier bad call.  This prompts the question, “Do two wrongs make a right?”

I don’t think that annoying is the right word.  I think the correct word is that the call was an injustice.  It was such an injustice that the DFB (German Football League) rescinded match suspensions that is typically given to red-carded players for subsequent matches, another admission that referee Wolfganf Stark got it wrong.

And how did Stark  and the DFB realize that they got it wrong? Answer: VIDEO REPLAYS.

Another relevant question to ask is why referee Stark didn’t give Schmelzer the benefit of the doubt, when the ball was heading towards his groin area.  Nine times out of ten, referees allow players to protect their private parts (whether male or female).  There was clearly no advantage here for Schmelzer to place a hand near the groin area for protection.  As Dortmund  coach Juergen Klopp asked after the game during post-game interviews, “What do my boys have to do, cut off their hands?” 

Before we jump on referee Stark, please remember that we’re dealing with one of the most experienced officials in the world.  Stark has centered World Cup and Champions League matches.  And the Bundesliga is one of the highest ranked leagues in the world.  Furthermore, Stark was in an excellent position to make the call. He was standing within 7 meters of Schmelzer, facing right at him as the shot was taken.

So how can one of the top referees in the world standing in the right position get it so wrong? 

The answer is that even the best referees cannot see everything right the first time around – these plays happen so fast that it becomes impossible to make the right call.  To use Stark’s own words, “it was an error of perception.”

At least Stark and the DFB have the guts to admit their mistakes.  This is important because it tells players, coaches, managers and fans that officials are human.  Officials make mistakes.  In this case, it was a series or comedy of errors – a referee’s greatest nightmare.  If you’ve never officiated a match you have no idea what I mean.

The other major take-away from this match is that the DFB and Stark perhaps may be conceding that to get it right we need VIDEO REPLAYS.  It’s about time to get serious about officiating, as I strongly suggest in previous posts and videos on my web site, ProSoccerTactics.com by incorporating VIDEO REPLAYS.

Until we do, every major tournament will continue to present us with tragic decisions such as this one, and injustices will continue to be made.

Other professional sports like hockey (the NHL), American football (the NFL), cricket and tennis incorporate VIDEO REPLAYS to make the games much fairer for everyone.  It is so sad that sport with the highest spectator viewership in the world continues to insist on inflicting painful decisions on players, teams, and fans.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve just about had it with FIFA and the professional leagues for continuing to look the other way.  It’s almost becoming a joke.  All the top players, coaches and managers know it.  You think that these guys would band together finally and speak up.  Don’t they have the guts to stand up and do something about it?  Or must we continue to endure these mini-tragedies, in the wake of technological advances that could easily be implemented to make things fairer for everybody?  The technology has already been incorporated by the other professional sports noted above – isn’t time that soccer or world football does the same?

Someday, spectators will make comments about this neanderthal era of world football officiating.  You can just picture a little boy or girl asking Dad about a great player who scored a goal from the final of a World Cup game of the distant past – “Daddy, was that world cup match pre-video replay or after video replays were adopted?“  And the father’s reply may be something like this: “Unfortunately, they didn’t use video replays back then, so teams and fans had to live with bad calls in those days, not like today.”

So what to do about it?  Well, if we put our heads together we can come up with some practical and viable solutions.  Stay tuned here at ProSoccerTactics.com for an upcoming blog post dedicated to how to practically integrate  video replays for officiating games more effectively and objectively.  Your comments, ideas and suggestions are also welcome and will be shared with the ProSoccerTactics community.

Thanks for your interest,

Richard Wiegand

Here are some Great Tips for Coaches and players who facing a PK shoot-out – especially in view of Portugal’s recent defeat vs Spain in the Euro 2012 championship semi-final, England’s defeat vs Italy, and Bayern Munich’s loss to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League 2012.

To access the Top PK Shooters Checklist, a great coach’s tool to help determine which players should take penalty kicks for your team, please click on the BUY NOW button below:

 You can check out the YouTube video  by clicking on this link as well.

A pdf version of this article can be found byclicking on this link:  Great Tips for Players and Coaches Who Face a Penalty Kick Shoot pdf.

Spain taking PKs vs Portugal at the Euro 2012

PK shoot-outs are nerve-racking experiences.  But keep in mind that both teams had a chance to put the game away during regulation time – and failed to do that.  If your team was not the better team during regulation and extra time – then look on bright side, your team really has nothing to lose by taking PKs.  This can take alot of pressure off the “weaker” team. If your team was the better team during the game, however, then the message you should be telling your players is something like this: “This is the time that we get to prove that we are indeed the better team, and we will win this because we worked hard, we deserve it, and we practiced shooting PKs many times and we will win this by taking a series of the best PKs that we can take.” This has to do with getting your players on stable mental footing for the show-down.

Here are some practical steps that coaches and captains should keep in mind:

If you win the coin toss for which end of the field – choose the side with the least divots, dryest, where the field is most  even etc. You don’t want to take penalties on an un-even, soggy, or chewed up part of the pitch.

If you win the coin toss for which team shoots first – you should choose to shoot first – studies show that 60% of teams that shoot first end up winning the PK shoot-out

Choosing your first 5 shooters – make sure your best shooters shoot first, and in that order (not like Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo who was last of the 5 to shoot and didn’t end up shooting a single penalty).  Imagine, one of Europe’s best footballers didn’t even get to take a PK for his country in the end because the coach placed him as Portugal’s 5th shooter!  That’s a huge mistake on the part of the Portugal’s coach Paolo Bento.

  Click Here!

Should you ask your players if they want to volunteer to shoot, or should the coach make the selections? I don’t believe a coach should let the players decide who shoots based on their feelings at that given moment.  This is because shooting ability and confidence levels are  2 very different things.

My advice is that the coach should make the selections and should have already created a list of his top 5-7 shooters, based on PK practice drills as well as previous game experience with his players.  There is no better data to base your decision than actual game experience (track record).  But since not everyone gets to take PKs in matches or even in PK shootouts, coaches should run PK shootout simulations with his players periodically – say at least once per month.  Also, a good idea is to have your captain shoot first – because that player is usually one of your most skilled players and has the most experience.  Captains are also team leaders, and take it upon themselves to lead their squad during challenging times like PK shoot-outs.

As a coach I typically want my strongest (i.e. hardest) shooters to take PKs – not necessarily the most accurate shooters.  I prefer pace and accuracy to just accuracy alone.  The ultimate traits I look for in PK shooters  are:  confidence (low anxiety), the ability to mentally focus, power, and placement (in that order).

The coach should never change the order of his shooters mid-stream (as Portugal did in the case of Alves and Nani) and make sure that his players clearly understand the shooting order – by lining them up in order at the center circle. My guess is that Alves may have missed his PK vs Spain because he was distracted by the change in the shooting order, when Nani stepped in before him after having already walked to PK spot from the center circle.  Either he was not clear on who should shoot next for Portugal or the coach botched the shooting order and changed his mind at the last minute.  Either way, this is a significant coaching error because your players should be clear about the shooting order from the start of the PK shoot-out.

Portugal's Alves misses a PK vs Spain in Euro 2012 semi-final

Some Great Tips for PK Shooting/Execution (for players elected to shoot penalties)

Encourage your players to take at least 4-5 steps behind the ball.  Short run-ups typically mean soft shots, which are much easier for GKs to save.

Discourage your players from taking stutter steps, as Schweinsteiger did against Chelsea when he missed.

I also personally don’t care for cheeky PKs, like chipping the ball softly toward the center of the goal (making the GK look like a fool).  I encourage my players to go with a controlled (accurate) power shot.  Up the middle is fine, if you have noticed by the 3rd shot or so that the GK is guessing directions (as opposed to waiting to react to the shooter).  Since most great PK killing GKs react to the shooter, against these types I would strongly discourage shooting up the middle.

While some shooters like shooting high, the priority should be first corner placement, then height, not the other way around.  I tend to favor PK shooters who can shoot the ball hard and low.

Finally, when your players take a PK, tell them to:

- be confident as you walk up to the penalty spot.  Know that you worked hard to get to this point, and that you’ve practiced shooting these things many, many times.  It’s simply another opportunity to execute the plan to the best of your ability.  No one can ask for more than that. 

- set the ball themselves (out of divots, preferably on flat or a tuft of grass)

- take at least 4-5 steps of a run-up (for power and momentum), as we said earlier

- pick your corner and never change this decision mid-kick

- visualize repeatedly yourself executing your PK flawlessly in the few minutes prior to and just before taking your shot , striking an exact part of the ball, following through, picturing the ball entering the net, and then celebrating!

- try to clear out as much external noise and distraction as possible – clear your mind and focus only on the job at hand – this means actually looking at the ball (focusing on the exact part of the ball that should be struck).  This was Paul Breitner’s secret when he took the PK against Holland in 1974, to tie the game 1-1 in the first half.  He once said that after deciding on where he wants to place the ball, he  focuses on the part of the ball that he needs to strike and that he simply follows through.  Concentration is paramount.

Paul Breitner PK vs Holland World Cup 1974

I hope that you enjoyed this lesson and hope to bring you more in the future.  If you have any special requests on other topics or would like some more  tips, please let me know.  Please tell your football friends about the ProSoccerTactics.com web site , visit the ProSoccerTactics.com YouTube channel, and please Like and/or share this article on Facebook.

Thank you for your interest,

Rich Wiegand

Remember, to access the Top PK Shooters Checklist, a great coach’s tool to help determine which players should take penalty kicks for your team, please click on the BUY NOW button below:

Remember, you can check out the YouTube video by clicking on this link as well.

The History of the Beautiful Game (DVD series):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article reviews two egregious and controversial referee decisions from UEFA’s European Championships 2012 in Poland-Ukraine.  Particularly, we will review the PK no-call decision by referee Craig Thomson of Scotland in Poland’s 0-1 loss to the Czech Republic last weekend and the no-goal decision by referee Karsai of Hungary in the game between the Ukraine and England.  Both host nations failed to qualify for the quarter-final round, and maybe these two calls would have made the difference.

Here is the link for the YouTube video of my discussion and review of these two decisions.  You will also find below a series photos of these two highly controversial officiating decisions.  I welcome your feedback.

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As this series of time lapse photos shows, Baros clearly uses an arm motion towards the ball to block Dudka’s direct kick.  Since the Czech wall was positioned inside the penalty area, this was a handball in the box, and the call should have been an automatic PK for Poland.  This could have seriously changed the outcome of the game for one of the host nations, but no PK was given by Scotland’s referee Craig Thomson.  This proves that even with a clear frontal view (center refs almost always stand with a view of the kicker and the wall in front of them),  that the human eye is not always able to focus on important details that can determine the outcome of games.  Most likely, referee Thomson missed this important call for the host nation because he was focusing on many other violations and assumed that the Czech defenders in the wall would “behave”.    Once again, the solution to this problem is video replays and reviews.

Dudka fires into the Czech wall - Euro 2012 Poland-Czech 0-1, photo 1

The Czech wall of defenders rises in the box to block Dudka's shot Euro 2012 Poland Czech Foto 2

Czech forward Baros nudges his left arm towards the ball to block Dudka's shot - Euro 2012 Poland Czech Foto 3

Baros's out-stretched arm clearly blocks Dudka's shot in the penalty area - Euro 2012 Poland Czech photo 4

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In the second controversial call, John Terry of England clears the ball off the line after Ukraine’s Devich lobbed the ball on goal. But Terry in fact cleared the off the line after the ball had already crossed the goal-line, as this series of photos shows. Even from 7 yards away from the goal, and in the direct line of the goal line, the goal line judge made the wrong decision! So how reliable is the human eye even from close range?  Again, this no-goal call from the Hungarian officiating team may have changed the outcome of the game for one of the host nations.  And once again, many heartbroken home fans must bear the agony of defeat and live with what may have been a critically incorrect decision.

John Terry of England clears the ball off the line Euro 2012 Ukraine vs England Foto 1

Close-range goal-line judge fails to make the correct call - Euro 2012 Ukraine vs England Foto 2

CAN ANYONE SAY “VIDEO REPLAY TECHNOLOGY PLEASE?”

Ukraine coach Bloching is super ticked off about the goal-line judge's decision

This article is about the excessive amount of back-passes that I’ve observed as a referee and spectator of high level and local youth matches where I live in CT.

One of the great thing about being a referee of the game of soccer is that I get to observe the many different styles of play around the youth leagues that I help officiate.  Unlike coaches who primarily focus on their own teams, referees are objective observers of the flow of play – we notice a lot of things that happen during the game for both sides.  So you can imagine that each game that I referee provides many lessons that I often record in an archive of notes on my laptop computer.  I hope to share some of these lessons with you, and hope that you can apply them when you play your own games.

Preventive Officiating: How a Referee Avoids Trouble on the Soccer Field

With the recent success of Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona (mainly over the past 3-5 years or so), I have noticed many coaches trying to replicate their style of play (to the best of their abilities), particularly by emphasizing the possession game.  UEFA Champions League Final 2011 FC Barcelona v Manchester United

The possession game basically involves passing the ball around rapidly (two to three touches at most) among teammates who are not being pressured.  This requires that teammates maximize the use of space on the field by spreading out, positioning themselves into the “open” spaces where little if any pressure by the opposing team exists.  Players with the ball should have at least 2 teammates at any one time to pass to, so the receiving players must be constantly moving, giving the passer options to pass to.  Essentially, the possession game becomes a game of keep-away (much like the monkey-in-the-middle), except that teammates are free to run anywhere on the pitch (the touchlines and endlines become the only boundaries). Since pressure by the opposing team is usually in their own defensive third, and the possession game seeks to avoid pressure rather than face up to it, the possession game often turns into horizontal style of play as opposed to vertical.

Possession in soccer-football can diminish your attack threat

Indeed, Louis van Gaal, ex-coach at FC Bayern Munich prior to Jupp Heynckes, not only adopted Guardiola’s emphasis on possession, he took it to an extreme.  What were the results?  Well, as a die-hard FC Bayern fan, I can tell you that it was grueling having to watch Bayern Munich put on “practice sessions” displays instead of trying to score goals.  Under van Gaal, Bayern Munich set records in terms of ball possession (often out-possessing their opponents by 90% to 10%), but FC Bayern only managed to achieve 5th place or so in the Bundesliga tables.   Under van Gaal, Bayern would pass the ball around ad nauseum (it got to the point where I couldn’t stand watching anymore), often aborting forward momentum to goal – literally back-shifting instead of accelerating drives toward goal to create scoring chances.  Bayern’s goal differential reflected this – while first place Dortmund was generating wide positive differentials of +30 at the midway point of the season,  Bayern’s was around a lackluster +11.  The problem was not that Bayern was giving up goals, but that they weren’t scoring very many at all. When FC Bayern lost a few games under van Gaal, TV commentators often remarked that Bayern had nearly 100% possession but the other teams were scoring 100% of the goals!  When it became apparent that Bayern could possibly miss qualifying for the following year’s Champions League, general manager Uli Hoeness gave van Gaal the axe.   Jupp Heynckes then took over and salvaged FC Bayern’s CL berth.

Van Gaal Gets the Axe from FC Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness in 2011

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that possession is necessarily a bad thing – because there’s a time and place for different playing styles in the beautiful game.  But if you had to choose between generating scoring chances as opposed to over-protecting the ball, guess which one is the more effective approach?  That’s right, you got it – nothing beats great scoring chances.  Look at it this way, would you rather win or settle for tie football/soccer games?   Would you rather take first place like coach Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund, or 5th place like Louis van Gaal?

Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga Champions and German Cup Winners 2012

Recently, a Latin American coach confided in me what had happened to one of the best young talents that he’s ever coached.  When he coached him until the age of 13, this player scored goals almost every game and also made many assists.  Then he joined a premier team where the head coach’s primary focus was possession soccer. The Latin American coach said that within two years this player went from being a lethal attacker to a tamed lion in a cage.  This player had lost his edge primarily because of the emphasis on playing sideways and back as opposed to attacking the goal.  What do you think happened to his goal scoring record and his reputation?  Indeed, as he approaches college age he will probably be overlooked by scouts.  What a shame how a coach can destroy the progress and development of a player as well an entire team!

Indeed, as a referee I have heard many coaches yelling from the sidelines telling players to play the ball back or to go sideways when a more dangerous pass or dribble was the much better option.  When coaches emphasize the sideways game, they destroy players forward vision.  Players begin to look down-back-and across the field but not ahead.  Players begin to associate forward advancement with danger, when often times playing the ball back or to the side is even more dangerous!  And yes, instead of challenging their players, coaches succeed in instilling a sense of complacency and even laziness in the minds of their players – killing the beauty and excitement of the game!

As I mentioned earlier, possession does have its relevance at very specific times in the game.  You have to know when and how to use it.  If you would like to know when and how, subscribe to the ProSoccerTactics.com web site (use the sign up box in the upper right corner of this web page, or send me your request via the Contact Us page), and I will send you a FREE outlined strategy report When and How to Use Possession in the Game of Soccer.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward as always to your feedback.

Enjoy the beautiful game!

Ribery shines as he resurrects FC Bayern Munich from the ashes

Ribery's goal for FC Bayern Munich vs Schalke 022612 Bundesliga match 23

Franck Ribery stole the show today as he led FC Bayern Munich again to a 2-0 victory against Schalke 04 in the 23rd round of the Bundesliga.  Credit must be given to all the players who fought hard to keep Raul, Forlan and Huntelaar at bay.

Recently, I’ve been commenting about the lack of creativity regarding the Bayern attacks.  I’ve also questioned Jupp Heynckes’ player-position assignments since the winter break (especially in view of Bastian Schweinsteiger’s recent injuries).

But today, most of these problems subsided as Robbery (i.e. the dynamic duo of Robben Ribery) put on a show.  Here are some of the key reasons why Bayern won the match:

• Heynckes played Luis Gustavo instead of Toni Kroos (I have been suggesting for weeks now that FC Bayern can’t rely on Toni Kroos and should put Gustavo in instead).  I strongly feel that the gears started to work again primarily for this reason today.  I’m so happy for Luis Gustavo and relieved as a Bayern fan.  Indeed, if you see the replay of Ribery’s first goal, it was Gustavo who won the ball back for Bayern by winning a 1-v-1 battle for the ball against a Schalke attacker – Gustavo won the battle and instead of falling to the ground – as Toni Kroos tends to do – Gustavo managed to stay on his feet and send Ribery off to the races – Ribery then showed tremendous skill and poise in tipping the ball over the oncoming Hildebrand (Schalke’s goalie) and then placing the ball in the net.
  

  LuisGustavo had an amazing match for FC Bayern today

• Badstuber, Boateng, Neuer, Lahm and Rafinha were rock solid on defense.  Neuer never lost his composure and made two great saves today.  The back four also fought hard to win the ball back from the opposition and showed composure in playing out of the back. The marking was almost perfect.  Bayern midfielder were also tenacious in fighting to regain possession.

• Lahm and Rafinha overlapped periodically and made some awesome crosses/passes and runs dribbling in the attacking third

• The spirits were up as the Bayern forwards finally showed some more creativity and originality in their attacks.  There was a sense that – “Hey, let’s just keep going at them – don’t worry if any one of our attacks doesn’t work – eventually, something will work and they will crack.“  That’s a great attitude for attack football.  This is precisely the philosophy that coach Klopp uses at Borussia Dortmund.
  

• FC Bayern also shot the ball more today.  That’s always a huge plus for the attack and goes hand in hand with the point made above.

There are still a few loose screws that need to be addressed – if Bayern wants to compete with the top clubs of the world – like Barcelona, e.g.  First, Heynckes has been giving Mario Gomez a huge line of credit in giving him thousands of minutes of playing time – and Gomez has not delivered.  Gomez hasn’t scored for at least 5 games now.  I can’t even remember a time when you could say that Gomez was a key player for Bayern – or a key reason for a victory.  Meanwhile, Ivica Olic has been waiting patiently for his chance and has only been substituted for the final 15-20 minutes.  Gomez is indeed coming to the end of his line and the coach and management should seriously consider selling him while he still has some value.  I have suggested many times before that Gomez simply doesn’t have the ball skills requisite for a team like Bayern.  He is not a good team player, and his technique is not outstanding.  Well, if you don’t have great passing skills or technique then a center forward should try to make up for it with great headballs or with hustle – but Gomez has been less than stellar in these departments.  Gomez is like sand in the gears of the Bayern attack – I’m sorry to say that he is becoming a liability.

Another loose screw is David Alaba.  While Alaba at least has a high work rate (he is fast and can run forever), and he has a great positive attitude – he is still only 19 years old and his inexperience shows.  Alaba occasionally makes some bad passes out of the back – and does not show great precision or penetration during his attacks.  He is better as a defender, but even here he is not consistent.  There are times when his pressure on opponents is lax.  His marking has not been stellar.  Having said that, David Alaba is improving.  However, like Diego Contento, I question his ability to break into higher ranks.  To own your position at Bayern, you have to have demonstrated that you are dangerous and/or extremely reliable.  While Schweini is injured, players like Alaba and Kroos can get their chance to prove themselves.  After several opportunities I conclude that players like Alaba and Kroos should be playing for other teams – not for a team like Bayern that has its eyes on the European trophy.

At such high levels of competition and expectation, Heynckes’s job as far as player-position assignments is no easy task.  The real challenge will come on March 13th when Bayern has to play Basel at home at the Allianz arena in the return leg of the champions league round.  Would you play Mario Gomez over Ivica Olic?  Would you continue to play Gustavo over Kroos?  Will Schweinsteiger be ready in time?  Let me know what you think!  I welcome your comments and feedback.

Rich Wiegand, founder of ProSoccerTactics.com

            5 Tips for Taking Killer Free Kicks

Please Like this YouTube video and Subscribe on the ProSoccerTactics.com channel!

This past weekend FC Bayern eeked out just 1 point away playing the last place team FC Freiburg.

This prompts the question…

HOW CAN TEAMS MAKE THEIR FREE KICKS MORE DANGEROUS???

So here are 5 GREAT TIPS for taking free kicks:

Toni Kroos takes another free kick for FC Bayern Munich

For the past few months, Toni Kroos has been taking the majority of short to mid-range free kicks for FC Bayern Munich.  By now, everyone knows the way Kroos takes free kicks.  It’s becoming too predictable.  A great team should have at least 3-5 great shooters over the ball to choose from that are rotated so that opposing teams are kept at odds.  For FC Bayern, the top shooters would be Schweinsteiger, Ribery, and Robben.  I really can’t include any other players on this list at the moment because the shooting has been so weak for FC Bayern.

2) Have at least 2-3 players standing over the ball and running on from different angles!   

How to take great free kicks: have at least 2-3 men over the ball

3) If you’re the kicker, remember to take at least 5 steps back from where you set the ball – not just 2!

When Toni Kroos takes free kicks for FC Bayern Munich, it’s typically a 2-step chip or a bended rising curve aiming for the top left or top right.  But with Kroos it’s always a 2-step kick.  This is a mistake.

How to take free kicks - running on to the ball from distance

Check out my previous video at http://prosoccertactics.com entitled Rocket Shots. There you will see Rainer Bonhof taking a blistering free kick against Liverpool’s keeper Ray Clemence in the 1976 European Cup.  You will also see Roberto Carlos taking one of the best free kicks ever recorded on tape for Brazil vs France in 1997.  What do these 2 amazing free kicks have in common?  One of the things that stood out to me was that in both cases, the shooter starts out at least 7 steps away  from the ball– if not more.  Why?  The answer is clear to experienced shooters – in order to get more velocity or pace , you need momentum before you take the shot – and the only way to get momentum is to take a nice 7-10 step run onto the ball.  Toni Kroos never does this when he takes free kicks – which is why he can only chip or place the ball.  This is why Kroos will never become a power shooter.

Roberto Carlos amazing swerving free kick Brazil vs France in 1997

4) Vary the types of plays and shots – keep ‘em guessing

Here are 5 arrows to put in your quiver:

 

1. Direct cannon swerving shots around the wall (aiming for the corners)

 

2.  Chips to on-running players into and near the goal area (usually for headers)

 

3. Passes to un-suspected shooters from a totally different angle (can be a short diagonal pass to the top of the opposite corner of the penalty area, e.g.)

 

4.    Chips or placement kicks aiming for the top/bottom corners

 

5.   A quick re-start to a nearby shooter in great scoring position (usually a short pass), a decoyed run over the ball followed by a shot or a chip

 

5) Practice, practice, practice!

Hennes Weisweiler was one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.  He led Borussia Moenchengladbach to several Bundesliga titles in the 1970′s.  One of his key players was his free kick specialist Rainer Bonhof.

Rainer Bonhof - free kick specialist for Borussia Moenchengladbach during the 1970's

During these glory years for Gladbach, Weisweiler made Bonhof practice corner kicks and free kicks for several hours at a time.  This is how Bonhof became one of the greatest free kick artists of all time.  Some of his greatest free kicks are shown in my previous video on the ProSoccerTactics.com web site mentioned above – once again the video is entitled Rocket Shots.

Roberto Carlos also practiced free kicks like crazy while playing for Real Madrid and for Brazil..  During an interview, Carlos once revealed one of his secrets to getting the most power from his shots.  He said that whenever he took a free kick, he would align the valve entry of the ball to face the laces of his boot, claiming that the ball is most responsive at this centralized point.  Hey, maybe you should give this a try too next time you take a free kick!

Roberto Carlos takes another cannon shot for Real Madrid

The element of surprise is the key reason why more than 60% of goals in soccer come from free kicks.  So having at least 5 pre-rehearsed and repeatedly practiced set plays is critical to your team’s success.  Your top free kick shooters as well as their teammates should know how to execute the runs, decoys, and movements to pinpoint accuracy – knowing their roles for each play ice cold.  Some different set play ideas are: direct cannon swerving shots around the wall (aiming for the corners), chips to on-running players into and near the goal area (usually for headers), passes to un-suspected shooters from a totally different angle (can be a short diagonal pass to the top of the opposite corner of the penalty area, e.g.), chips or placement kicks aiming for the top corners, a quick re-start to a nearby shooter in great scoring position (usually a short pass), a decoyed run over the ball followed by a shot or a chip.

In summary – If you want your team to master free kicks, you have to:

1. Change and rotate the players standing over the ball – to confuse the other team

 

2.Have at least 2-3 players standing over the ball – keep the entire defense guessing

 

3.Take at least 7-10 steps away from the ball in order to build up momentum for your shot

 

4.   Vary the types of shots and plays originating from free kicks

 

5.   Practice, practice, practice and practice some more!

 

I hope you enjoyed this instructional lesson on how to master free kicks.  Share this article with your friends and remember to check out the video version of this article on YouTube.  Hopefully then you can Like the video and subscribe to the ProSoccerTactics.com YouTube channel.  While you’re there, please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought.

Thanks and as always, enjoy the wonderful game of soccer!

Rich Wiegand

ProSoccerTactics.com

Here are some of the most unforgettable goals of all time – a music video compiled by ProSoccerTactics.com

The song is Rocket by Goldfrapp and is available for download by clicking on this link.

The music video (accessible just below this intro paragraph) features goals scored by:

• Rainer Bonhof 0f Borussia Moenchengladbach in a Bundesliga match in 1977 as well as a free kick against Liverpool in the European Cup 1976.
• Paul Breitner of FC Bayern Munich playing for the German national team in the World Cup 1974 vs. Chile and vs. Yugoslavia
• Christine Sinclair with a gorgeous free kick against Germany in the Womens World Cup 2011
• Roberto Carlos with two spectacular goals – the first, his unforgettable free kick vs France in 1997 and then an almost impossible goal vs Tenerife while playing for Real Madrid
• van Bronckhorst of Holland scores an amazing cannon against Uruguay in the World Cup in South Africa in 2010

I hope you enjoy these goals and share them with your friends!

Thanks. Rich Wiegand

The song Rocket by Goldfrapp and is available for download by clicking on this link.

Why FC Bayern Munich is my favorite team

As you probably noticed by now, many of my world soccer commentaries are related to FC Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga.  That’s because I have been following Bayern Munich since I was a little boy, and in fact my first soccer jersey was a Bayern Munich replica.  I have met Franz Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier and even played indoor soccer with Gerd Mueller at the FC Bayern Munich club headquarters on Sebenerstrasse in Munich. So like many of you soccer fans, I have a passion for one team in particular – and it is FC Bayern Munich.

FC Bayern Munich_the Glory Days (1970s)

As my blog posts and videos on ProSoccerTactics.com show, however, I really appreciate great soccer/football from anywhere and everywhere in the world.  That’s why I’ve done a few videos highlighting FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund as well.  When I get around to it, I will also do some videos about teams from the English Premier League and also from the Italian Serie A.

But for now, I’d like to talk about FC Bayern and the difficulty they’re having getting back into gear after the winter break.

Excuses, excuses

In the second Bundesliga match since the winter break, FC Bayern tied Hamburg away 1-1.  Admittedly, it was freezing cold, which makes the pitch hard and difficult to control the ball.  This is a plus for the underdog – in this case, Hamburg SV.

In addition, referee Kircher called back an own goal from Westermann’s header in the 15th minute due to a so-called push from Mario Gomez – which in my humble opinion was highly debatable.  I watched the video several times and could not find the foul that Mr. Kircher saw.  So FC Bayern was denied what was most likely a legitimate goal.

Poor marking by Philip Lahm, again – time to change the captain

Having said that, FC Bayern definitely has some loose screws to tighten up in the back.  In the 23rd minute, Hamburg’s Paolo Guerrero switched the ball to the top of the right side of the box to Sala, who was completely unmarked – who then half-volleyed the ball into the lower left corner past Manuel Neuer.  The immediate question that comes to mind is: “Why was Sala unmarked?”

Hamburg's Sala left unmarked by Philip Lahm

This is not the first time that Lahm has shirked his responsibilities as a left back.  I can dig up at least 7 goals from the archives where he has had defensive lapses marking opponents.  For a left back, this is fatal.  As a team captain, he should definitely know better.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that if I were the coach of FC Bayern, I would not start Lahm.  He is way too dangerous for me as a defender.  Sometimes, you can make an exception for an overlapping back (like FC Barcelona’s Danni Alves, FC Bayern’s Rafinha, or Schalke 04′s Fuchs) if they help generate more scoring chances offensively than they give up as defenders by not marking up properly from time to time.

But Philip Lahm has not been all that effective as an attacking or overlapping left back of late either. And as you may know, Lahm is not the tallest player on the pitch – this is a major negative for a defenders who must fight to win head-balls in or around the box.  So the question arises, why does FC Bayern have Lahm on defense and give him the helm (captain-ship) of the team?  This is a real problem for the team going forward – to have an unreliable defender as your captain.

Boring attack formations

One of the most critical areas of concern is the Bayern attack. I have been studying the Bayern attack over the past two weeks and really must say that I find it to be quite boring, especially when compared to coach Klopp’s attack formations for Borussia Dortmund.  The Dortmund attacks are lightning fast, they all involve attackers that accelerate to goal, and they are varied.  Bayern attacks are slow in comparison and usually involve a gradual buildup out of the back with width-wise passes connecting the dots as the entire Bayern team advances steadily out of the back.  No blitz passes through the seams or gaps.  Shots are almost non-existent.  With Bayern it’s typical and predictable: try to swing the ball around the top of the area (much like basketball players pass the ball around the key) and try to work your way inside or cross the ball from the wings.  No acceleration no shots = no scoring chances = boring soccer.

Coach Heynckes really has to go back to the drawing board and study the Dortmund and FC Barcelona attacks.  He has to get some fresh ideas fast.  While Heynckes is certainly a huge improvement over Luis van Gaal with his nauseating sideways possession style of play, he can admittedly do some more homework on attack football strategies.

1000 minutes for Gomez for every 10 minutes for Olic – is this fair or prudent?

Another area of huge concern for me (and many Bayern fans I’m sure), is player assignments and substitutions that Heynckes is making of late.  Can someone tell me why a coach would give a center-forward like Mario Gomez 1000 minutes of playing time where he generates maybe two goals – when a sub like Ivica Olic comes in for 10-15 minutes late in the game and scores every time? How much time does Mario Gomez need? It just doesn’t make any sense Is it fair to reward the under-performers when the more efficient players are sitting on the bench?  Olic has already said that he wants to leave Bayern because he feels that he deserves more playing time.  That would be a shame.

FC Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez and Ivica Olic: competing for the same position?

Where is Luis Gustavo?  Is Kross really a better player than Gustavo?

Another player assignment issue that really gets on my nerves as a Bayern fan is Toni Kroos over Luis Gustavo.  I would take Gustavo over Kroos any day.  As I suggested in previous posts, Toni Kroos is not Bayern material.  He is not tough enough.  He is too dainty.  Psychologically speaking, this is fatal to the spirit of the team.  At least Schweinsteiger goes in when he has to and wins the ball back from the opposition.  Messi does this brilliantly also.  Watch Messi when he loses the ball – he fights like the devil to win it back immediately.  He is a two-way player.  For me, Kross is a one-way player.  He only wants the ball passed to him and stands over the ball to take free kicks.  Have you noticed (Mr. Heynckes), that as soon as Kroos is subbed out, Bayern starts to play much better?

FC Bayern Toni Kroos vs Luis Gustavo

Lately, even his free kicks end up being blocked by the opposition.  But my experience playing and coaching the game suggests that players who don’t fight to win back the ball and who would rather receive the ball instead are shunned by teammates, and deservedly so.  Until he improves his mental and physical toughness, Kross should not start for Bayern, even if he is national team player.  He would flourish more on another team like a Leverkusen or Bremen.  But please, not Bayern Munich.

The Bayern management should tell Nerlinger to act more maturely

The last thing I’m going to say is that the Bayern management should control guys like Nerlinger inside the management.  You may or may not have heard about his hoax of a press conference announcing the signing of a “bomb” of a star forward forward for Bayern Munich.  I thought that was so lame, disrespectful to all the Bayern fans as well as a sign of having no class.  In any other publicly traded company, Nerlinger would have been fired.  It’s a miracle that the Bayern fans took it as well as they did.  The Bayern management should not forget its great history as a club – to have guyslike Nerlinger steering the ship really makes you wonder.

Nerlinger FC Bayern Munich mgr left thousands of Bayern fans hanging at a recent hoax press conference

The bottom line is that FC Bayern Munich really has to address these major issues and fix them fast if they want to stand a chance in the final rounds of the Champions League and have a shot at the Bundesliga title.  Right now, Dortmund is on a roll, their system rocks, and they’re leaving Bayern Munich in the dust.

World Soccer Brutal Plays -The Need to Restore Decency with 10 x 10 Rule by Richard Wiegand

This past weekend was one of the most BRUTAL  that I’ve ever seen in the Bundesliga

• Sebastian Proedl of Bremen brutally kicked in the face by a Kaiserslautern defender

- Proedl suffered a broken nose, broken jaw, and a concussion

Proedl is out for the rest of the season

•    Benedikt Hoewedes suffered a broken jaw – 6-8 weeks out

Other BRUTAL injuries this past season include

• Subitic of Dortmund – broken jaw and concussion – was out 3 months

While some of these injuries were not caused by malicious play by the opposing team…..

Schalke 04's Benedikt Howedes injury_Bundesliga pic

Some of them clearly were either intentional …

France's Franck Ribery was injured in an international several years ago

or simply reckless…

Sebastian Proedl suffered head injuries in Bundesliga match between Werder Bremen and Kaiserslautern

BVB Borussia Dortmund's Sven Bender injured in Champions League match vs Arsenal Gunners last Fall

Let’s Do Something About this Brutality NOW!

To help clean up the game and restore some beauty to world soccer, I am proposing that the top leagues as well as FIFA and UEFA implement a new set of rulessimilar to what I came up with and that I call The 10 x 10 Rule. Here it is:

1.  Suspend the guilty player with 10 match suspension

(across all levels of competition including internationals)

2. The team for whom the foul-committing player plays must pay

     10 times the salary of the injured player to the injured player’s team

–for as long as the player remains out of commission.

Players injured for life  to receive remuneration equal to  the projected cumulative future career earnings for that player.

     health and well-being of all professional players around the world.

Repercussions

If leagues don’t act together to crack down now  on “thugs” any of the following will happen:

• the quality of play will decline dramatically (as good players drop like flies and more lower quality players are left playing the game)

• lower level teams will climb the tables at the expense of the more successful clubs

•All teams will begin to take justice in their own hands and take out perpetrators  and/or inflict vengeful fouls to get even

• star players will make much less money because they will not be perceived as worth the risk of higher compensation levels (as the possibly for injury remains high)

Franck Ribery recuperated from another injury last year while playing for FC Bayren Munich

 

To see the YouTube video from this article CLICK HERE!

 

FC Bayern Munich – another stunning defeat by the underdogs – game review

This article was written from the perspective of a lifelong FC Bayern fan.  But the lessons and tactical recommendations the I make are relevant to most teams, not just for Bayern Munich.  The article is not intended to denegrate any players – simply to highlight matters of strategic importance.  The recommendations made were made in part to help Bayern get to the Champions League final – because I strongly believe that FCB has the potential to get there.  As I point out in the article, to get there, Bayern will have to open up their purse strings and buy some quality players…

Check out FREE soccer video tutorials at YouTube! Search for the channel called ProSoccerTactics.com

Rafinha and Arjen Robben had difficulty containing Marco Reus of Gladbach

FC Bayern has difficulty re-capturing momentum after the winter break

India vs FC Bayern Munich winter break prep game 2012

Recommendations–> Play less prep matches – work on mental prep as much as physical prep

–> Don’t play prep matches against weak opponents – this lowers your standards

–>Better to study  video clips  of top plays from the top clubs in the world, even older videos of top teams from the video archives – this serves to raise your standard of play to greatest heights

–> Study video clips of your mistakes during the past Fall season.  Why did we concede the goals that we did?  How can we remedy these strategic mistakes?

 

FC Bayern is showing that it has a problem with a lack of depth -Management needs to buy more players NOW

• FC Bayern without Franck Ribery – a team that is  beginning to show that it clearly lacks depth

• Towards the end of last Fall, Bayern missed Schweini and Kroos showed that he could not fill his shoes in the midfield•

• Gomez once again can’t seem to score goals against the toughest opponents.  There is growing evidence that his ability to control the ball and distribute it to his fellow attackers is a serious issue for the team

Mario Gomez at times does not fit in with Jupp Heynckes' style of attack

Recommendations–> FCB mgt must buy a solid central defender  to supplement van Buyten –> buy Diego Lugano (Uruguayan national currently plays at Paris St. Germain)

Diego Lugano - Uruguayan star central defender currently plays at PSG in France

–> FCB mgt must buy a solid outside defender –> buy Fuchs (Schalke)

–>FCB mgt must buy a workhorse midfielder –> buy Farfan or Vidal

–>FCB mgt must buy a killer forward –> buy a Luis Suarez or a Barrios

Luis Suarez - star Uruguayan center forward who currently plays for Liverpool

–>Toni Kroos is not working hard enough as a midfielder – it’s time to give him a break or consider selling him

Toni Kroos was unable to gain traction against Hanke and company

Who cares about POSSESSION anymore?

FC Bayern dominated the match from a possession perspective (about 60 /40) but clearly showed very little penetration or threat in front of the goal – is this a sign that Heynckes needs to go back to the laboratory and concoct new attack strategies?

• Bayern’s attacks are becoming predictable – time to shake things up a bit

Patrick Hermann scored twice and was Gladbach's star of the show vs FC Bayern Munich