• Question one: were any of the coaches dealing with and training a nationally ranked team? Would that make a difference?
• Second question: can the participating coaches go back and do match analysis on their own isolated and with the team, where there are not fifteen helpers in the stands with a highly trained Dutch coach?
• Final question: of what value are notes dealing with a nationally ranked team in relation to a lesser-ranked team? One not ranked at all? A low positioned team? A weak team?

In my last article I defined match analysis as a way to improve training, win games and play better soccer. Let us consider this to be a philosophy of what one believes in.(Remember that I went for a Ph.D in Curriculum and Teaching at Fordham University.)

One must decide on how the team is to play. So we begin with what we want the team to do. It may not be what the coach of a nationally ranked team wants or expects. The goals must be realistic. The overall philosophy dictates the goals.

I cannot tell you gentle reader what goals you should strive for, but I will give you mine.

1. I want my players to be very strong with the ball. I teach them all kinds of moves to make them strong in one-on-one situations.
2. I expect the players to use pass combinations, two player combinations as well as three player combinations.
3. I stress ball possession. That has many implications.
4. I stress organized set plays. Corner kicks, attacking the wall, defending a dead ball situation and penalty kicks. The works.
5. I want good shots on goal. Lots of them.
6. I use the offside trap.

Simple Match Analysis

Being alone on the sidelines, I use my #2 keeper to take notes. This is the best player to view the game and give me help. If I use a field player there is difficulty of who gets the notes next when players run on and off the field.

So here is my match analysis.

1. I ask the keeper to keep track of who wins the one-on-one duels. This is a simple column of + for one side and - for the other. Who wins the most?
2. The second page shows ball possession for us. There are three major components to this:
   1. Does the keeper pass or throw the ball as opposed to kicking it into a crowd? My #2 keeper keeps track of this.
   2. What happens with throw-ins? Is the throw a safe one square or behind square? Or a throwaway into a crowd in front of square? We keep track of that.
   3. On dead ball situations not near the goal do we maintain possession with a square pass or even a back pass? We keep track of that.
3. On the third page I want a record of shots. I give the #2 keeper a diagram of the field. He marks from where the shots were taken. This tells me whether or not we are taking good shots on goal. Mature shots.

The items listed above are ones that I feel that I can change through coaching if they are not done to my satisfaction. There is no sense keeping a record of things that I cannot change. Other things are obvious. When a player is caught offside, he knows it. The best that I can do is to suggest running on a curve rather than straight running down the field. This is a player problem, not a team problem.

Dear reader, do not use my list; make up your own.

As an example, I have watched my grandson play for many years. Some observations would include:

• The back line of defenders fails to run up in support of the rest of the team when they possess the ball. How frequently?
• The players have a tendency to one-touch the ball causing a high pace to the game with many turnovers. What percent of the time?
• Wild shots are taken from outside the box. From where and how often?
• Substitutions are made too frequently to prevent team unity on the field. Track substitutions.

I have pads and pads of match analysis forms. Nobody wants them. I wonder why.

FUNdamental Reader do you have a question or topic you would like Alan Maher to answer or cover? Let us know...!