I am currently sitting in front of the television watching the Netherlands against Denmark in the World Cup.
What comes to mind is the way the players move on the soccer field.
Both teams have a lot in common and Denmark is sometimes referred to as “Little Netherlands”, mainly because their way of playing is heavily influenced by the way the Netherlands plays.
If you’ve watched the World Cup so far, you know that speed is of the utmost importance, even at the elite level. Players like Ji Sung Park and Lionel Messi are small players, but the way they move on the pitch is what really matters.
So what exactly is soccer speed?
By watching a game in the World Cup, you can easily find what kind of moves the players are using on the soccer field, and to mention a few:
– linear acceleration from standing, walking, jogging (5 to 40 meters, mainly in the range of 5 to 15 meters)
– Side mix (a lot on defense, especially in 1v1 situations)
– Court (run at high speed and make a quick and quite “small” change of direction)
– Rear pedal (backing up to create space for his teammates)
– slowdown (from high speed to a quick stop, often when pressure is applied on defense)
– Change of address (can be both with and without the ball, in defense and attack)
– Hop (to win a headbutt)
These are just a few of the many movements that occur on a soccer field, and when it comes to soccer speed, just learning to run in a straight line like a track sprinter won’t make you faster on the soccer field. soccer. Sure, it would help when you’re running 40 to 100 meters, but how often does that happen in a soccer game?
Not that often.
You must be able to accelerate from different positions (straight, at an angle, sideways, etc.), learn to decelerate quickly and change direction, etc.
The most common distance in a soccer game is between 10 and 20 meters, and you play for 90 minutes. So when trying to build soccer speed with your players, remember the importance of teaching them how to move effectively in all sorts of directions. And part of this training must be done with the ball, and part without the ball!
Multidirectional is really what football speed is all about, don’t forget that!
