dins8

Which way to force an opponent? It seems odd that there are so many discrepancies and ambiguities regarding which direction an opponent should be forced when he is in the attacking third. I have inquired about this situation to collegiate coaches, ‘A’ licensed coaches, Regional ODP coaches, and even the former Nigerian National coach. Oddly enough, each coach whom I have asked has been confident and obstinate with his answer, yet each coach’s answer seems to blatantly contradict another successful coach. Therefore, this question remains the biggest enigma for me as an evolving student of the game. Do we instruct defenders to force a player to the touchline and teach them that the line provides adequate cover, or do we take away the line and force them to the covering central back, thus eliminating an easy path for a talented attacker to get behind the back line of defense? From years of inquiry and years of encountering so many paradoxes in the game, I have started to teach my players never to say never and never to say always. This mantra encourages them to be innovative in the offensive third, but defending is more black and white, isn’t it? After all, the object of defending is to eliminate creativity, make play predictable, and frustrate dynamic attackers. But, in my opinion, there are holes in each approach to defending, hence the fact that inventive players always seem to find ways to beat even the most organized defense. Take the first approach, for example: the novice coach is comfortable telling his players to force an opponent to the touchline because the coach can myopically point out that the line personifies another player or serves as appropriate cover. Or does it? In all actuality, a line isn’t a defender; it is merely a limitation of space. Indeed, talented attackers love it when a defender gives them line, for some players can dribble on a string. After all, who in their right mind would give Ronaldo line? I guess the best support for the argument that defenders should force opponents to the touchline is that it kills an opponent’s shooting angle, thus preventing him from penetrating centrally where he can have a decent crack at goal. However, if a team fields a modern day flat back, forcing a player line (that player who can dribble on a string) gives him the easiest path to get behind the last line of defense, and, further, forces a center back to cover for the OB who just got burned. That is what a center back is there for though, isn’t it? Hogwash, argues the Nigerian National coach. The worst thing defenders can do is provide easy access for a solid attacker to get behind the back line—even if that attacker has no shooting angle. Now the center back is forced to pick up the OB’s man, leaving the most dangerous area of the eighteen and possibly his mark; moreover, the far side backs are all sprinting toward the goal, unaware of their marks because they are no longer facing them. He also contends that an insightful attacker will quickly slip a ball to the center back’s mark (who is most likely in a scoring position) during the transition process when the CB covers for the OB who allowed his opponent to dribble line. Keep the attacker in front of you, he says; force them in a negative direction; keep your shape; apply back pressure from the midfield. So always take away the line and force players centrally, right? Wrong (at least in my opinion). Taking away that line is only appropriate when there is proper cover. What if the opponents are in transition and the back line has lost its shape or is numbers down? If it is two vs. two, do we want to force a talented attacker centrally where he can easily blast a shot on goal? Would anyone in their right mind force Lionel Messi inside where he can instantly unleash his patent left foot? Hence, it is often appropriate to delay the attacker, kill his angle, and never give him a wider look at the net. In a recent tournament, I watched a KFC keeper scream to his defender, “no line” in a numbers down situation. Thus, the attacker took the central path to the goal, fired a rocket in the back of the net, and shook the keeper’s hand for giving him such a warm invitation to goal. (Okay, I’m lying about the hand shaking part). If you are confused about the best defending approach, you are in good company. Kill an attackers angle, or keep him in front of the back line? Rely on the touchline for cover, or only depend on the center backs for support? Maybe defending isn’t as black and white or as simple as everyone says it is. Maybe there isn’t a definitive answer regarding which way to force an opponent. Maybe that is why I tell my kids that in attacking AND defending, we should never say never and never say always. Thoughts?

It probably has to do with their coaches not contacting or returning phone calls from the people in charge. All-State is apparently a very difficult process for the people in charge, and I know it would be a whole lot easier (and maybe more just) if coaches would speak up for their players the way they should.

I think the coaches list will probably do Farragut more justice.

I am surprised to see Ryan Stinton from Farragut left off this list.

Fair enough...maybe I shouldn't have said no contest. But...I was at the CBHS/OR game, and I would venture to say that CBHS was a tad off their game that day; still the shot count was HEAVILY in favor of CBHS. Still think CBHS was better than Farragut, but congrats again to Farragut for being ranked number 6.

Your argument is quite jumbled and difficult for me to understand. What does "look at the Cleveland and Oak Ridge scores" mean? And what in the world does "CAK could have beat CBHS" have to do with anything? If I'm looking at the results when Farragut played Oak Ridge and Cleveland, I see that Farragut tied Oak Ridge and beat Cleveland. Is that what you want me to look at? I'm bewildered as to what you mean about the whole CAK could have "beat" CBHS--especially since I never mentioned CAK in my post. Are you saying that CBHS was not that great and (even CAK could have beaten them)? If so, I would probably object to that for several reasons--1.) CAK was a darn good team this year--winning the state and beating Farragut speaks volumes. 2.) In a matchup between CAK and CBHS, I think CBHS would probably win; I think others would probably back me on that too. (Not to take anything away from CAK's accomplishments). Lastly, I am not quite sure what tune I am singing. I have congratulated Farragut; supported what G alluded to (which was that CBHS should be in the rankings); and then simply stated the obvious: these "national rankings" do not focus on ALL states. I then went on to continue to sing praise to Farragut by once again congratulating them and warning everyone that the best is yet to come from this Farragut juggernaut. They WILL BE the best team in the state next year, and they were ONE of the best teams in the state this year--I just thought CBHS was better. I could be wrong though. Sorry if my last post offended you; I did not mean to come across as disgruntled nor anti-Farragut.

Congrats to Farragut for this ranking, but I will echo everyone else's words: CBHS was the best team in Tennessee this year. Ask players from Oak Ridge, Maryville and Hendersonville (all teams that played both Farragut and CBHS), and they will say that it was really no contest as to who held the crown for the best team in TN this year. That being said, Farragut had a fantastic season, and next year I don't think there will be much of a debate as to which team will be TN's best--it will be Farragut. One more thing--I am probably going to regret bringing this up--but it still bothers me that some people really think this is a list that considers all of the nation's teams. After all, only a few states play their boys soccer in the spring. Add Texas, Pennsylvania, California, and other powerhouse soccer states into the mix, and I suspect that Farragut wouldn't even be considered as one of the nation's top teams. That being said, they were a fantastic team, and certainly one of TN's best this year. God help whoever has to face them next year!

G- Do you guys not meet on this, or are you having to call all the coaches?

I think you left off Farragut's best player, Ryan Stinton! Here is my list from our region: Ryan Stinton (Farragut) Trevor Grieco (Farragut) Alex Wilkerson (Bearden) Ryan Campbell (Bearden) Tanner Thompson (West) Ryan Pugh (Maryville) Ryan Wilson (Oak Ridge) Taylor Grim (Oak Ridge) Stefan Fox (Sevier County)

Pinball--I know this is all in good fun, but I think predicting back to back state championships is way too bold of a prediction. You of all people should know that when you are on top (and Farragut is almost always on top) you get every opposing team's best effort, and anything can happen. By the way--I'm still picking Farragut to win this year, and I'm picking them to win in a barn burner over Hendersonville.

Prediction: Farragut! This is the best Farragut team I have seen in a while. I know Coach Culbreth claims this is a "rebuilding year", but, to me, this Farragut team is better than their '07 team and better than their '08 team. It is going to take a phenomenal effort by another team and a bad night by Farragut for the Admirals to get ousted. In my opinion, the only team that is as talented all over the pitch is CBHS. Now THAT matchup would be awesome! Look for Farragut to reclaim the title, and look for Stinton to come up huge--pun intended.

Refs were outstanding? Who were the refs?

I actually thought this was the best that Bearden has done against Farragut this year. They had plenty of looks in the first and second half, but they just couldn't put the ball away. With seconds left in the first half, a Bearden player put a ball at the six right over the net which could have been the equalizer and a momentum builder. It was also a shame that the first Farragut goal went in. I am not sure if it was Bearden's starting keeper (they all wear headbands), but I think Bearden's keeper took his eye off the ball. In the end, it was the same song for Farragut; they just played with a different instrument tonight. There were not as many corners or throw in opportunities for the Admirals. Farragut seemed much more comfortable possessing and looking to take a different route. One thing that did look the same was Stinton. In my opinion, he is Farragut's MVP and one of the best players in the state. He may not have the stats or the panache of players like Grieco or Campbell, but the intangibles that he brings to the game are remarkable. Stinton wins absolutely everything in the air and continues to demoralize a Bearden team that enjoys long ball. More importantly, Stinton always seems to be able to control the pace of the game. He is very good at playing east to west to open up the middle, and he detests giving up possession of the ball. It is fun to watch a player with such fantastic physical gifts play so smoothly and so intelligently. Unlike Farragut, Bearden is a tough team to figure out this year. Both their players and their tactics puzzle me. Can someone please tell me why Ryan Campbell spends so much time on the bench? He did not have his best game tonight. He turned the ball over and tried too much to make something out of nothing. But who can blame him? He NEEDS touches on the ball. After all, when exceptional players get minimal touches on the ball, they occasionally try to get overly creative and excited when they finally do receive a touch. Side note: My Lord were there some cards tonight! I probably should keep my mouth shut on this, but does anyone know the count of how many got booked tonight?

I was really surprised that Farragut would adjust their field for Trevor's throw ins (if that is indeed why they brought the sidelines in). I figured a wider field would only help them exploit space and prevent Maryville from staying compact. Moreover, I would have assumed that they would have enough dead ball opportunities on corners to take advantage of their height. Shoot, their corners were their BEST opportunities last night--not their throw ins. It will be interesting to see what they do if they end up playing West at home. I know I would try to make it wide to help the flow of play and encourage attractive soccer. I also think it is extremely important to take a good look at the West/Farragut match and consider all eleven starters. Farragut has a variety of weapons other than Trevor's throw; West, on the other hand, relies HEAVILY on Tanner's sling shot and is not quite as strong 1 to 11.

Farragut/Maryville comments Difference: I thought Stinton was a huge factor in this game. He won nearly everything in the air and negated many counterattacks from Maryville in the second half. He also did an excellent job at keeping it on Maryville's end and denying the possibility of a counter; Maryville's defense was on their heels for much of the second half simply because every goal kick taken was intercepted by Stinton. Maryville: I was impressed with Maryville's second half effort in the final twenty minutes. They had several nice chances and actually hit the post in the final minutes. Maryville's keeper also came up huge on several occasions to thwart a heavy attack and an overload of Farragut corners. Farragut: Farragut continues to be comfortable playing choppy soccer this year. In the past two years, I have seen phenomenal goals from the likes of Backstrom and Bolton in the flow of play. This year, however, Farragut has adjusted nicely, and they play well to their strengths. They thrive off throw-ins and corners and know that even a great side can't withstand such a barrage of set pieces. Or can they? How ironic is it that Farragut's goal tonight (as tnfutbol mentioned) came off of a wonderful effort by Stinton in the run of play? In the end, Farragut must start to convert more on their set pieces. Eventually, a team like Bearden or Oak Ridge will take advantage of Farragut's missed opportunities--like Maryville almost did tonight. Question: Why did Farragut take their sidelines in so far?

Completely agree. One of the best players that I have coached in TN was D2. He wanted to focus mainly on academics and did not want to travel as much. Tnfutbol--who on the 07 team was D2?

Who is Wilson? Plus, I didn't get all the games that I predicted correct. My predictions were as follows: Farragut 3, Bearden 1. Oak Ridge 2, West 1. CAK 1, Catholic 0 I got the CAK/Catholic game wrong.

You okay? /flower.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":flower:" border="0" alt="flower.gif" />

Four or five? No way! OR's keeper is too strong.

I read ya now. I also believe that too much emphasis is placed on going D1, but I disagree that NAIA is better soccer than D1. Maybe it is that I am biased, but D1 soccer is very exciting to me, and there are plenty of teams that play very attractive soccer at the D1 level (in my opinion). As for the championship between Maryland and NC...I think it might have something to do with the rivalry. Consider how attractive soccer goes out the door when two rivals play in HS soccer. Last Thursday both Bearden and Farragut played ugly soccer, and both teams are very disciplined and good at doing what they do. A championship game or a big game makes some teams resort to boom ball, safe play, and physical play. Even high level D1 teams can play overly direct and constantly turn the ball over due to the high intensity of the game. I think it is only natural for teams to play unattractive soccer when they are in a do or die game. You kinda see my point?

Just wanted to give a shout out to Coach McCoy for organizing the JV tournament @ Victor Ashe Park. It has been a great experience! Placing so much stock into JV soccer can only help promote the sport. Too often JV is the red-headed step child of HS soccer--they are often ostracized by the varsity, and some varsity coaches rarely show up to JV games. JV players are often young, not fully developed, and insecure. However, they are just as dedicated (if not more so) than varsity players, and they need the support of varisty coaches. They need to know that they, too, are important; they, too, are a part of a program. One of my best friends constantly says that JV players are the purest of athletes--they are playing for the love of the game, he says, and never playing for the wrong reasons. Kudos to the coaches and fans that have helped make this tourney a success. Thanks especially to Coach McCoy for making this such a great experience for some of our younger, less experienced players who might soon be our go to guys on varsity. dins

I am not sure to whom or to what this actually addresses. Are you blasting Mark, Cody, D1? How can you say that Memphis is a weak team without even seeing them play? Are you saying that Memphis is down because Cody plays there? It certainly sounds like you are saying that! Both Cody and Mark are great players and will be great assets to Memphis. Maybe I am missing something (and I very often am), but shouldn't you give these two boys and the Memphis program a little more credit? If I misread your post, I apologize.

So is this easttnref?!

Comment on the Bearden and Farragut game: Chapel and Compton are by far my two favorite referess; therefore, I am only comfortable admonishing them because I think they are the best, but I thought the Bearden and Farragut game was a little chippy last night. In my opinion, not one, but TWO PK's were missed last night. Early in the first half, Ryan Campbell abused his defender, and he was blatantly tripped in the box--not only was a PK not called, but there was not even a foul called. Furthermore, in the second half, a Farragut player was on a breakaway, and a Bearden player clearly and egregiously made no attempt on a ball and hacked the Farragut player in the box--it was almost like he was LOOKING for a card. I am a huge fan of a ref who lets the game flow and lets players play, but I thought that if Ryan Campbell's PK was called in the first half that it might have helped Bearden come alive. Although who is to say that Culbreth wouldn't have kept his studs in for the entire game if Campbell gets his PK? Overall, I think both of the twins (Chapel and Compton) do an OUTSTANDING job at becoming invisible and letting the game be played out--there are numerous referees in this area who call it WAY too tight--but I thought there was a lot missed last night. Growing concern/pet peeve of mine--When refs refuse or are scared to call a PK.

Pics: Oak Ridge 2, West 1: Oak Ridge is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated teams in the state. They have several game changers in Del Castillo and Jenks, and they are able to control the pace of the game in the middle of the field. Furthermore, Grimm is one of the most versatile players in the region, and he will be used sparingly based on his health and the team's need. In addition to outstanding field players, they also have a strong and physical presence between the pipes which ensures that they are alive in all games. West, on the other hand, lacks consistency at the keeper position, as their starting keeper has been plagued with injury. Moreover, I am not positive that West's tempers will not flare in a match of such intensity, and I could easily see another red card delivered to one of West's big names. But despite West's drama, they, too, boast several difference makers who are both inventive and productive in the offensive third--namely Tanner T. and Jack M. Look for it to be close, but Oak Ridge will continue to be resilient as they were in the Barry Redmond Tourney. CAK 2, Catholic 1: I give the nod to CAK due to the uncertainty surrounding Tyler Gibson's status. They say that one player doesn't make a team, but Tyler Gibson is one of those rare players who makes everyone around him a better player. He relieves pressure from Spencer, and he has great speed of play and 360 awareness. Unlike the ambiguity surrounding Catholic's lineup, we basically know what CAK will bring. They are a senior driven team that possesses the ball well and will beat you with simplicity rather than panache. Farragut 3, Bearden 1: I have been very adamant and vocal about Bearden being just as good as Farragut, but I think I probably haven't given Farragut enough credit. That is not to say that Bearden is not an excellent side; it is just that Farragut sometimes appears to be in another league this year. I have not seen a team move as quickly to the ball as Farragut does, and they attack with numbers, speed, and height. Tnfutbol recently commented on the lack of creativity that Farragut has been showing lately, but I don't really think it matters. They have the ability to keep it on their opponent's end, and they will pack several monsters in the box and let Grieco unleash his cannon. Eventually, so much size, depth, speed and experience (yes, experience) wears ya down, and that is exactly what Farragut will do to Bearden. Look for Bearden to have a go, and look for Campbell to embarrass Farragut's sometimes overzealous back line at least once, but, in the end, Farragut should be too much for the dawgs. In good fun, dins