High School Formations....

[Jsmity]

...What are the formations your teams are going to be running this year???... Have your Coaches been working on situational formations for like when you go down a couple goals or up a couple???... Lets talk some soccer tactics up in this mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bread]

ive always liked the 3-4-3, its what i use on fifa 07... i like the outside mids taking runs down the wings getting in crosses...

[Jsmity]

In high school we always played a 4-4-2 with a diamond defense(sweeper, stopper)... in Club we played a 3-5-2 (and all 5 midfielders were flat and so was the back... we played alot of outside balls down the line).....

In college so far... this past season we played a 4-5-1.... flat back 4(offsides trap)... 2 defensive mids.. one attacking and two wingers with a cetral target player up top...... its very similar to the formation France played with in the past world cup..... except we play stacked in the the defensive third and counter.... alot of 1-2 passing and big switches... it really oppens the field up.....

[Bread]

Alot of the schools are using the 4-4-2, using both options with the flat back, or the diamond set up, I think thats what we played in Spindletop with the flat back, worked pretty well...

[setxsoccer]

YES SOME FORMATION TALK!!!

The 4-4-2 is in my opinion the jack of all trades formation...

    how you train on the left side you can mirror that to the right side

    you have even balance with a flat back 4 or with the swepper stopper roles

    you can have tremendous counter attack options with  the 4-4-2

    defensively you can adjust to almost any style of play

   

    the 4-4-2 requires strong midfield play with outside mids making strong runs

    mids must be able to cross the ball in the attacking third!!!

    defenders must have good communication, knowing when to attack and when

    to give space

    fowards must be able work together and know their spacing rules and roles

just like all formations, the 4-4-2 has its weak spots...I just think for the high school player it is the easiest to learn

on a side note---the US used a 4-5-1 in this world cup with McBride flying solo up front and we all know how well that worked out

[Jsmity]

I dont dislike the 4-4-2... I just dont like how some teams become complaicent in their style of play with in a 4-4-2 system... I have seen far too many times teams stupidly dumping wasted balls over the top in hopes of a forward running onto it... I love possession football... and in the 4-4-2 the midfield must be smart and open up the outsides on good timed runs in order for the possession to really benefit from the 4-4-2 and in most High School teams in this area there are alot of players who do not understand the movement part of soccer and the beauty and domination that can come from possession oriented football....BUT!!!!!!!!!!..... I aggree with every thing that you said SETXSOCCER....

... as for the 4-5-1.... I like the idea of having that triangle type one-two passing that that particular formation "should" generate... BUT... in the US's case... alot of times we played great timed passes with alot of possession and movement... there just wasnt anything in the attacking third... No offense to Brian McBride(who is undoubtedly one of the best American strikers of all time)... but if you are going to have a target player up top  like that in the 4-5-1... he has to be mobile and agile and be able to float and drift all over the opposing back line..... look at France.... USA played basically the same formation as France for a good part of the World Cup... the difference was the way the outside mids brought the ball up and then dumped in back in the middle to create that lane and alot of oppertunities were created because Henry was always drawing defenders to him away from the point of attack.... I think Eddie Johnson would have been a better choice in that formation.... HOWEVER!!!!!.. any other formation I would have stayed with McBride.... he is a great finisher!!!!!!