What makes a team successful? Before we attempt to answer this lets define success. Success in relation to soccer is defined as winning competitions, winning the league, winning cup games and winning games on a consistant basis.
Every aspiring coach would love to win all their games but most would settle for the majority. So what are the characteristics of a successful team?
For starters, successful teams have more of the possession. Possession doesn’t always translate into goals or wins, but it helps teams conserve energy and re-group when the pressures on. If your opponent doesn’t have the ball they cannot hurt you on the scoreboard. The Azzuri, the Italian national side is the best at this and can virtually deny you the ball for long periods of the game. The team that is denied the ball has to exert alot of energy chasing the ball and when they finally win it back, they are exhausted to mount any serious attacks of their own. The team that controls the ball can also control the pace of the game and can impose their own style and dictate the events of the match. Possession is important, but it counts for nothing if you concede goals and lose.
Successful teams are able to penetrate teams through the middle and on the wings. Teams that have a number of attacking options are usually the most successful. Teams who vary their attack are obviously more unpredictable and harder to read. The ability to penetrate through the middle is paramount. Once the opposition has been exposed through the middle they will stack the heart of the defence and concentrate their numbers in the central areas of the park. A superior team would then swap tactics and use the conceded space on the wings for flank penetration.
As stated above, successful teams display versatility. They have versatile players who can play in various positions and are comfortable playing under a number of systems. This allows teams to adjust to their opponents by effortlessly switching from one formation to another even during a game. They can respond to tactical changes imposed by their opponents and can also interchange players and positions making the team extremely difficult to contain.
Every champion side can absorb pressure and suddenly counterattack swiftly and directly. When teams have versatile and skillful players and have the ability to transition from defence to attack, their opponents are exposed because they have no time to regroup. All successful teams must have the ability to counterattack. Greece won the Euro simply by using this tactic.
A successful team must have a high working rate and the ability to close the ball down when they are not in possession. They must be able to read the game, anticipate and intercept passes and win back the loose balls. Remember possession of the ball is only half the battle.
Successful teams have the ability to win the majority of the individual battles. As much as the game has evolved and changed tactically, the game is still about the individuals. The contest is always won by individual brilliance supported by the rest of the team. A successful team will always allow the stars to shine and be creative. The best coaches in the world maintain the right balance between the game plan and individual freedom. Sir Alex Ferguson allows Christiano Ronaldo the freedom to express himself and the results speak for themselves. Creativity should never be sacrificed in the name of functionalism.
The best teams in the world have a balance between organization and improvisation and have the ability to change from choreographed plays to deceptive, unpredictable plays. The players can also solve problems on their own, with little guidance from their coach and instinctively know when to stick to the game plan or when to freelance.
All championship teams have one thing in common. Can you guess what it is?
All championship teams are built on a solid foundation of individual skill and technique. Without skill and technique, tactics are a waste of time.
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