|
For decades, U.S.
soccer officials long advocated a defensive system that designated a "sweeper''
as one of the four defensive backs. The role of sweeper, made famous by German international
Franz Beckenbauer, is also called a "libero,'' which means free man. The libero,
or sweeper, was a free defender and could attack as well. Beckenbauer was a uniquely
gifted athlete and he excelled in this dual role. He could make tackles, cover for
his teammates and gallop with the ball deep into the opponent's territory. But his
greatest skill was his ability to read the game. His speed of thought and decision
making exceeded his opponents and teammates - qualities that are vital for today's
top youth players. Soon, national and club teams emulated the Kaiser and the German
formation. Partly because of the heavy German influence on the U.S. Soccer Association
at the time, most soccer in this country played with a sweeper, or a free player
behind the defense.
But as soccer has evolved into a faster game, the role of sweeper
has diminished. Perhaps the most dramatic break came in 1994, when the U.S. hosted the
World Cup. Few of the teams in the tournament played with a sweeper. What the professional
players and coaches had discovered that without a player of Beckenbauer's rare talents,
the sweeper was counter productive, even an anachronism.
That's especially true today for young players who are developing
and learning how to take responsibility for defending. Why? For starters, most coaches
in North America played the sweeper solely as a
defensive player, discouraging the sweeper to take an attacking role in the game.
What's more, the sweeper was usually played deep and central, often divorcing him
from the play. The sweeper system also required the other two or three defenders
to man-mark rather than play a zonal team defense, which is marking players in areas
of the pitch. What tended to happen was the other defenders would lose their shape
and balance as they man-marked their players all over the field, hoping the sweeper
would restore balance or bail them out.
True, if you had an outstanding player who could play the role
of libero, it would add an unpredictable dimension to the team's attack and create
few worries for the coach on defense. But the sweeper invariably takes on a disproportionate
share of the work load.
For those reasons, I have encouraged all our coaches at Emerald
City FC to play a system that utilized four players at the back. We call
it "The Back Four.'' The system with four players at the back encourages all players
to take responsibility for defending. It
teaches them when and how to pressure the opponent with the ball, how to cover (an
appreciation of angles and distances), how to create balance in the back line and
how to concentrate as a unit (pinch in) when opponents are attacking through the
middle of the field.
A team playing with a back four does not have to change its system
during a game to accommodate opposing changes of strategy. A back four should be
able to cope with one, two, three or four opposing forwards. Playing with a back
four not only teaches players the principles of defending, but it also encourages
players to understand how and when to stay with opponents and how and when to pass
players on to teammates. It promotes visual
and verbal communication.
Here is another way to think about defending: The key is really
about thinking ahead, or pre-planning, and that's where the speed of thought comes
into play. If the defenders are sharing the work, working as a unit, most likely
they avoid having to shift to crisis management where they would be chasing and
reacting to opponents all over the defensive third of the pitch. That requires everyone
to share the responsibility of defending, rather than pinning hopes on one player
cleaning up everyone else's deficiencies.
The back four creates a reasonable distribution of work and a
very even distribution of space across the width of the field. The system not only
promotes a better understanding of defending but also, it provides a wonderful springboard
from which to attack from the back. Outside
full backs are encouraged to support the attack or overlap when play is on their
side of the field. The system also promotes
a change of play when play is tight on one side of the field.
The back four should never become a "flat back four". There is always shape to the defensive line. This shape is dictated by the position of the
ball on the field and the positions of the players the defenders are marking. As the ball moves and as opponents move, the shape
changes.
Even at U-11, where we play nine v nine, I encourage a system
that stresses the importance of wide midfield players dropping back to act as outside
full backs when the team is defending. I want our teams to play a 2-4-2 system that
utilizes two central defenders and the outside midfielders hustling back on defense.
Are the kids going to make mistakes? Yes, they will. But it's by allowing
them to make those mistakes that ultimately will teach them how to play. The back
four is really about a method of play that allows kids to adapt to any system of
play or any formation, and it teaches them how to work together as a unit.
Editors Note: Like Bobby Howe, I've always been an advocate of
a Back 4 (Back 3) Zonal-type play. I was
brought up on it and so your experiences affect (perhaps condition) your perceptions
and beliefs.
At any clinic involving Team Play and 11-a-side soccer I always
ask the question, "Who uses a sweeper/man-marking system?" Though not in the majority today there is always
a significant number. It usually turns out
that a high percentage of those are coaches working at the High School level. And this bears out Bobby's observation regarding
Franz Beckenbauer. Very often High School
teams have a disparity of abilities in their team - elite and recreational players. A good sweeper and willing, fit man-markers can
produce effective defensive performance.
Check out Emerald City FC where Bobby Howe is the Director
of Coaching.
|
