USWNT Training Session - National Soccer Coaches Association of ...

USWNT Training Session
A training session for coach Pia Sundhage’s U.S. Women’s National Team
as it prepared for competition at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Team
Warm-Up
• Light jog and stretching
• Rhythm pattern
• Footwork, agility and balance
Functional Training
Attackers
• Possession and transition
• Cross and finish
Defenders
• Possession and flighted
balls
• Center back - goalkeeper
communication
Max Speed Finishing
• Mid Stripe Diagonal Balls
9 v. 9
Hat Trick
• Three-part finishing game
Goalkeeper
Warm-up
• Light jog and stretching
• Foot work with basic handling
and diving
Activity
• Back pass and driven ball
• Crosses and hand distribution
• Early serve with punts; Drop
kicks and foot clearances
Functional Team Training
• Cross and finish
• Center back - goalkeeper
communication
Max Speed Finishing
• Mid Stripe Diagonal Balls
9 v. 9
HAT TRICK
• Three-part finishing game
Warm-up: Rhythm Pattern
Setup: Mid stripe to top of penalty area, 10 players in a group
rotate target to wing, wing to opposite side line, deep player
to target, line to deep
Pattern: Ball starts with deep to wing and back, wing spins out
and deep bends ball into wings run, wing takes two touches
and plays target. Target checks away and back receives then
turns in one touch, finds deep player and pattern repeats on
new side. Players rotate.
Coaching Points: Quality of ball, as much one-touch as possible,
movement off ball. Progressed to wing receiving second ball
as a chipped ball.
Warm-up Goalkeeper
Setup: In the six-yard box, two goalkeepers working on halves
of goal. Three cones on slight diagonal away from goal. One
cone on each side extending from post to six-yard box.
Activity: Goalkeepers use a variety of footwork to get through
cones. Once they reach the six-yard gate at the end, they set
and receive service.
1. Volley right to goalkeeper
2. Off ground serve to side on ground
Five times each and switch with server
Coaching Points: Always face server even in returning to starting
point, choose any footwork but make it clean and quick,
set position and body shape important to receive service.
1. Volley – clean handle and distribute back to server’s feet
2. Off ground – set off rhythm of server, find post with a touch
after footwork, collapse or smother forward of six-yard gate
Soccer Journal • September-October 2008 43

Team Agility and Flexibility
Setup: Two agility ladders with five-yard explosion off end of
ladders.
Activity: Team goes through 10 different footwork ladder patterns.
Then through 20 yards of lunge stretching.
Coaching Points: Fast feet and head up. Drop hips, drive knee
and explode five yards off ladder.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup: A server with balls on each flank and a target forward
for opposition.
Activity: Goalkeeper sets up to receive a flighted ball into the
box, then distributes that ball to the opposite server. Five
each side.
Coaching Points: Be patient. Collect ball at its highest point.
“Keeper” call or “Away” call. If away, track the ball until it’s
out of play. On distribution follow through to target.
Functional Training: Attackers
Setup: 30 x 25 yd grid divided into three equal zones (10 X 25).
Six green, two red and two yellow. Greens are divided, three in
each end zone. One red and one yellow defend opposite against
each green team. Remaining yellow and red are in middle zone.
Activity: Three greens possess in their zone, trying to achieve four
passes. At four they will play the target in the middle, who has
one touch to find a green from the same grid transitioning toward
the other grid. The green transitioning plays the ball into
the opposite green zone and joins to play 4 v. 1. Target in middle
should alternate between receiver and pressure. To avoid the
defenders tiring too quickly, they should occasionally change
with the target in the same color. If the defender wins the ball,
they will play the target while the team they won it from transitions
to join the middle to then join the opposite team.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup: In the six-yard box a cone is placed six yards from each
post. A second cone is placed 20 yards from each post. Two
servers are positioned with balls one on the side and one
midway 20 yards out.
Activity: Goalkeeper receives a ball to feet from server on side
and plays the ball back to server with feet. Goalkeeper then
finds ball line and moves toward the server 20 yards out.
Reading the rhythm of the server to go to set, the goalkeeper
saves a low driven ball at the goalkeeper. Five reps of each.
Coaching Points: Back pass – Read the pace of the ball and take
two touches when fast and one when slow. Accuracy to the
target is important. On a low driven shot, quickly find the
ball line, better to set early than late and make the save going
forward to increase deflection angle.
44 Soccer Journal • September-October 2008

Functional Training: Defender
Setup: 15 x 15 box on the midline and a 15 x 15 box at the 18.
Three teams of four in three different colors. 4 v. 2 in each
box, three four-minute rounds.
Activity: Teams play 4 v. 2 trying for four passes. After the
fourth pass, play a flighted ball into the other grid. The defenders
in the new grid have to stay on the line closest to
the old box until the ball passes over them. The new grid
plays 4 v. 2 and repeat the service after the fourth pass. This
is played for a time limit with each team trying to accrue a
point for four passes followed by an accurate service. If the
defenders win the ball, they keep it until the four can regain
it. If it’s played out the coaches start a ball to the four. After
the time the defenders move into a space to become attackers
and the team in the space splits and sends two to each of
the grids as defenders.
Goalkeeper Activity
Setup: One goalkeeper in goal, a server 35 yards out on the
width, a target wide over the midline, a coach at the top of
the penalty area.
Activity: Goalkeeper receives a flighted ball served as an early
ball behind a back line of defenders. She punts/drop kicks
this ball to target. Server plays a driven ball to the coach,
who knocks it down into box for goalkeeper to two-touch
clear to target.
Coaching Points: Early service – read pace and spin on ball, collect
before it bounces, last step to drive though ball, keeper
call, focus to hit target on quick counter. Knocked down ball
– Read through ball, take a touch forward and wide of goal,
find target on over midfield.
Functional – Attackers
Setup: Three central players and two wide players, a goalkeeper
in goal.
Activity: From a central position a ball is played with pace out
wide. The wide player receives it and either takes it to the end
line to serve or serves it early. The forwards time their runs to
get an attempt on goal. Alternate balls to wide players.
Coaching Points: The quality of the service is critical. It must
have pace and be delivered to an area the goalkeeper can’t
intercept. Timing of the forward’s run is important to attack
the ball for a goal scoring chance. When attacking the ball
bend the run so that the body is square to the oncoming
service.
Soccer Journal • September-October 2008 45

NSCAA photo by Craig Bohnert
Functional – Defenders
Setup: Several central players, two wide players, two defenders,
GK in goal.
Activity:
1. Ball gets played to a central player who takes a long-range
shot, then recovers.
2. Ball is played from the same wide player to a central player
who switches field to the other wing. The wing either goes
end line or serves early. The one shooter plus an additional
attacker time their run to meet the service for a scoring
chance. The two defenders organize to negate the chance.
Coaching Points: This is designed to help the communication between
the goalkeeper and the two center backs. Once the ball has
switched, the two center backs drop to accomplish two things:
1. Shorten the window of space to attack behind the defenders
and before the goalkeeper.
2. Once the ball is served they can attack the service going forward
instead of being off balance and running at their on goal.
Midline Five-Second Maximum Speed
Setup: Four lines at the midline, two facing toward each goal.
Goalkeepers in goals. Loads of balls. Each player gets five
times as receiver.
Activity: Interior line takes a touch, which releases receiving
line. On second touch a diagonal ball is flighted for the receiver
to bring to ground and strike on goal with the second
touch. Server and receiver switch lines.
Coaching Points: The idea is that the receiver has five seconds
to reach maximum speed. They must decelerate to receive
and strike on goal.
Coach Pia Sundhage provided service
during a shooting drill as the U.S. team
prepared for its semifinal match against Japan
at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
46 Soccer Journal • September-October 2008

9 v. 9 (left)
Setup: Field size top of penalty area to end line. Eight field
players, one goalkeeper per team.
Activity: Regular soccer rules 9 v. 9
Coaching Points: Emphasis on
1. Playing forward and joining
2. Speed of play
3. Creating quality chances in final 1/3
Note: Sundhage was very positive, only stopping play to point out
excellence.
The U.S. Women’s Olympic Team jogged before a training session at
the U.S. Olympic Committee’s High Performance Center at Beijing
Normal University on Aug. 17 before the 4-2 semifinal victory against
Japan that put them into the gold medal match against Brazil.
Hat Trick (above)
• Player 1 takes a touch and shoots before the ball crosses top of box.
• Player 1 then turns to receive ball from Player 2 and lays ball
off to player 2 to strike outside of the top of the box.
• Player 3 takes a touch on the outside and serves a flighted
ball for Players 1 and 2 making runs into the box. The ball
must be finished out of the air (volley or header.)
• All three shots have to score to accomplish the hat trick.
Note: The U.S. team has never accomplished the Hat Trick – the
goalkeepers always win!
NSCAA photo by Craig Bohnert
Soccer Journal • September-October 2008 47