Any Soccer Players in S&T? Vol i need help

[me no pass]

ok so after watching it for a while i decided to play in a soccer league.

problem is that im still a novice and dont really know the game like id like too. i have a little knowledge of the game from playing when i was younger

any seasoned soccer players on NT have tips to give me to become a better player? I play defender and midfielder btw

 

[hugo]

always keep your eye on the ball once facing the opponent coming towards you with the ball.

 

[semf]

I played defense in HS . . . they called us "fullbacks" (midfielders were called "halfbacks") . . . so from a defensive standpoint . . .

- watch people's waists (not their head or shoulders and don't focus only on the ball) because where their waists are going, that's where they're going and it's harder for them to fake you out / mis-lead you.

- On a 2 on 1 or 3 on 1 break against you, etc, play the passing lanes / play zone. And then when you commit / finally go for the ball, go hard. For me, that meant automatic slidetackle on the guy with the ball. He may pass it off, but I'd still put him in the mud just to say hi. Once the other team sees you're gonna put a guy into the mud, they'll think twice before putting the ball into your neck of the woods.

- once anyone from the other team is inside your 18-yard line (penalty area), you get skin / cover tight. Outside of that, I keep the guy I'm covering an arm's length away.

- keeping talking with your goalie / rest of the team. I always shouting out little things like look up, man on, square, thru, support, get skin, swing it, etc. and if I see a break and chance to go up on offense, I'll let goalie and rest of defense know so they could cover my man until I'm back on defense / let offense know there's an extra guy to pass too . . .

 

[o fenomeno]

if you want to get better, just start kicking the ball around and taking it with you everywhere you go. juggle it, dribble it around your house, bounce it off the wall behind your house, whatever. you want to develop a comfort level and familiarity with the ball almost so that it becomes an extension of yourself.

go to your local field and try to get into some smaller pick up games, particularly with hispanic dudes. this is where you hone the control and skill that you ideally learned while messing around with the ball. playing small games makes your combination play and your touch so much better.

also practice kicking. blast the ball into the goal several times. switch up your striking style with inside of the foot, laces, outside of the foot, etc. and watch the different ways the ball reacts to different strikes.

most important is to just become a soccer nerd. watch as much soccer as you can, doesnt matter the league, be it premier league, barca vs madrid, MLS, college soccer, second division brazilian league, whatever. just watch it. and play FIFA. FIFA helps hella people get the basics down, and then you can start noticing intricacies such as runs, when to play the through ball, give and gos, yadayadayada.

do all that **** and you'll be clint dempsey jr. in no time. one.

 

[adrian1221]

You're going to get a lot of good advice here so ill keep it short so you can focus on a few of the things i would really emphasize.


start running. Your condition will play a huge role after the hour mark hits and you are on the field (assuming you play the full 90)

Control and touch, don't lose the ball, get rid of it and pass it if you find an open man in a good position, regardless if you live by your SN. Relax and just be aware of your surroundings. As a beginner you can tend to stare at the ball arriving at your feet but what you want to do is glance around prior to receiving a pass, that will give you an idea/timetable of how much pressure is on you and what you can do once you get the ball.

 

[me no pass]

 so far, so good..repped everyone who answered..thanks yall

 

[Coupé It]

If your not technically sound with the ball don't play midfield, defense is stil fun as long as your aggressive. Great replies in here.

 

[ham city]

Keep it simple. Idk your level of technical ability but try to bring the ball under control with you first touch and keep it moving along the ground to a teammate with your second.

Know your surroundings. If you know where defensive pressure is going to come from before you get the ball as well as where your teammates are and what runs they're likely to make once you get it, then keeping the ball and connecting with them will be a lot easier.

Next time you're watching pros on TV actually look at the center midfielders. They're constantly looking over both shoulders surveying their surroundings, literally every couple of seconds.

Defensively just worry about containing the opposition in midfield and on the wings, but closer to goal around the edge of the box you have to close down the space between you and the ball as fast and hard as possible.

If you want to try to actually develop into a soccer player listen to o fenomeno's advice. You have to learn how to touch the ball (technique), more importantly you have to learn how to touch the ball within the context of a game (application of learned technique).

Juggling and passing against a wall will help you develop technique but playing as much pick-up soccer as possible with teach you how to use that technique.

Watch and play as much soccer as possible.

 

[AZwildcats]

Some things that helped me.

1. If possible play indoor soccer. The smaller field really forces you to learn dribbling, quick passes and shots among other skills. After playing a year of indoor soccer I found the transition to outdoor soccer much easier.

2. The best advice I can give you is applicable to both basketball and soccer. Do not fall for ball fakes. Don't stab at stepovers and other moves. Always let the attacking player make the first real move before you react

 

[mastamind89]

Been wanting to get back into playing after years and years of not playing too

 

[M. Fresh]

The best advice I can give you is to play co-ed. Ive always liked soccer but never played because it was always during basketball season. I joined a co-ed league last year and it was fun. The rules arent as strict, you just go out there and play. Plus its not the long field but you still get a good workout in.

 

[me no pass]

Some things that helped me.

1. If possible play indoor soccer. The smaller field really forces you to learn dribbling, quick passes and shots among other skills. After playing a year of indoor soccer I found the transition to outdoor soccer much easier.

2. The best advice I can give you is applicable to both basketball and soccer. Do not fall for ball fakes. Don't stab at stepovers and other moves. Always let the attacking player make the first real move before you react

well im an excellent defender in hoop so lets hope the skills translate over

 

[nychiphophippo]

Honestly soccer is ****** hard to pick up

The amount of composure, awareness, and quick decision making you need amazes me. The game moves so fast the moment the ball gets to your feet. And then on top of that the skill you need to execute the decision you've made.

Playing on torn muscles in my hip and tight cleats never helped me either I'm hoping after 2 surgeries I can try to pick it up when my physical therapy is complete because it really is an awesome sport.

 

[ajiiiplatinum]

Practice hitting targets. That will help you as a defender clear the ball accurately and hit breaking forwards.

I always played as a forward...just played last night and got a nice workout

 

[demps]

find a park and see if any pick up games going..

park around my way has a game going EVERY day in the afternoon unless mexico is playing.

 

[semf]

1. If possible play indoor soccer. The smaller field really forces you to learn dribbling, quick passes and shots among other skills. After playing a year of indoor soccer I found the transition to outdoor soccer much easier.

yeah, playing indoors is a whole different animal. Ball speed is FAST since you're usually on a hard surface like a hardwood or if you're lucky, artificial turf. And if rules let you play off the walls like hockey or have hockey-style substitutions, then it brings a new dynamic to the game.

 

[me no pass]

anymore soccer players present?

 

[champcruthik]

Run as much open pickup as you can, especially during the summer. Bad timing considering the summer season is ending. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. We all overbook our touch, give the ball away in possession, mi**** a shot on goal. It happens.

1) Pickup Soccer.
2) Cardio/Running on track or roads fine as well, soccer requires lots of fitness and conditioning.
3) Watch EPL, La Liga, and CL if you can. Help understand and learn the game better.
4) Playing FIFA is a fun bonus with your soccer buddies. Won't necessarily help you get better in real life, but you'll learn more player names and clubs.
5) Personal Workouts should include shooting, short passing, long passing, dribbling, juggling. You can use cones on a turf or grass field to improve your dribbling. Shooting can really be practiced by yourself at anytime.
6) Indoor Soccer as it gets cooler out. Less running but demands a more velvet touch, crisp passing, and quick decision-making.

I will say outside-back (full-back), RB assuming you're right-footed, is easiest to pick up for a beginning soccer player. Forward require clinical finishing. CMs require tremendous technical ability, creativity, and passing. Wide/outside mids require crossing and pace. CBs need to win headers, properly communicate, mark well, and challenge well. That leaves full-back. Don't push up too much until you're comfortable defending. Well-time your tackles/challenges. Positioning is key on the off-sides trap.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[i lax bro]

I played right back in HS on a varsity level for 3 years so I know a little lol. I'd say don't be the guy who falls for the attackers moves.. watch him make a mistake first because 99% they will and then you go for the ball, if you try and take a stab and miss. easy way for them to score. watch his waist/hips communicate with your other 3 backs because thats super important. Don't be that one defender who pushes the ball up past midfield and ends up losing it too lol.

 

[me no pass]

making a mental note of all this advice

 

[raburns04]

^ I actually got into soccer after being cut from the HS basketball team. The skills really do translate, just a slight adjustment in strategy. Give a little bit more room, especially if (like me) you're a little slow; the guy who recommended playing the passing lanes and going hard when you commit is spot-on, and definitely work on conditioning. Even if you don't, you should be in decent shape by your third week or so. Above all - TALK! For me, as a defender, I was able help out my mids and forwards because I could see the entire field, and my goalie was a great help to me because she could see even more and know where she needed help to keep the ball out of the net.

Defense isn't for everyone but If you're new, stay away from mid; if you're fast, play the wing. If you do play up front, don't forget that you're a defender, too - stop drives before they start, or come back to play some D whenever your teammates need it. Play the cross, and don't be afraid to mix it up with your other wing - switching off, etc.

Above all, have fun! It's less true now, but the great thing about playing soccer is that few adults stateside have played all their lives and there's a little more parity than in, say, basketball. Learn from your teammates and, possibly, you can teach them a thing or two as well.

 

[semf]

yeah, have fun with it. i played soccer all through grade school, middle school and high school. After a while, it became a job and towards the end of HS, I didn't enjoy it at all. It's just what I did every day for so long it felt more like an obligation than a passion. I took a break for a bit during college and then started playing indoor and I had realized how I had forgotten how fun soccer is like little things like passing in triangles was so fun to me, ha.

 

[noskey]

You play defense, so a big thing I'd say to do is work on your body control/movement. Most important thing you should do imo, is play some 1v1 with a buddy. When you're on offense, dont shoot until your past the defender. This'll help you work on your skills in high pressure situations. Dribbling is easy when you're by yourself and faking out shadows. Try it against a real person and you'll pick up nuances and skills you didnt know you could do. Use your body to create space. Practice flicking the ball with the outside of your foot, too. That's easy to learn and it can be easier to control than dragging the inside of your foot to place a short pass.
When you're playing D, keep your body in front of theirs and never turn your back to them; if you get turned around, dont panic and overcompensate on pressure, that's a quick path to a foul. Just try to gauge their run and disrupt their lane before they can get rid of the ball, and keep your momentum up, it's easier to catch up by continuing your path than to turn your body the opposite way and risk tripping on yourself. Kind of hard to explain... like, in basketball, dont get crossed up by trying to keep your hips parallel, just go with it and recover if you get turned around (hope that explained it well enough).

Everything else that's helpful has been explained I think. Good luck! I hated playing defense

 

[jjs]

When a defender recovers the ball, he should not try to just kick it as far as he can. He should search for a midfield to get a good transition in offense.

Kicking the ball away will just give the ball back to the opponent.

But, if you get the ball and you are in a though spot (around opponents, close to your goal, etc.) try to kick the ball away (but never in the center of the field) or just kick it out for a throw in.

Didn't read all the posts, but you have some great info in here.