Those Hard Yards: Game 1

April 15, 2007

Today I feel like a truck ran over me, for all the right reasons. Yesterday was our first competition game, and although it was not the greatest game of my life, it still resonated that I can get out on the park after two years and battle it out. The boys fought hard for a good 80 minutes and then it fell apart, but we held a good solid shape with a 3-5-2 formation and drew 2-2. Things I took away from this game included:

Pro’s

Warming up for a good 15-20 minutes before the game helps increase blood circulation to the working muscles, and stretching afterward is a great way of stimulating the Golgi tendons which can help prime your muscle with the power it requires to perform at its maximum.
Having a great sweeper worked like magic, especially when you can both command your defense and still keep a cool head with each other.
Attacking the ball at its highest point is the most effective way to command the air above your 18 yard box safely during a deep crossing situation from the left or right hand side.
Communicate with gusto. Great goalkeepers never really need to make deft defying saves…they can maximize the strength of their attack with great verbal and non-verbal communication.
When your defence is not responding sometimes you have to take the matter into your own hands!

Con’s

Never hesitate in attack (I mean attacking the opposing attacking line to meet the ball).
Hydrate throughout the week.
Carbohydrate load properly throughout the training week also.
One training session is never enough, and just because you are not on the field does not mean that you cannot schedule other training sessions in different training environments.
Work more on total leg strength. Quadriceps, hamstrings and calves with a focus on a maximum strength training regime at least one time per week.
Distribution helps…immensely. With a focus on technique and strength training, that illusive height and distance you have been dying to enhance will be a breeze, but it takes time.

This will be a weekly insight into my game so that hopefully you can also utilize some of my own strengths and weaknesses in an analyses of your game and training sessions.

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