When you’re playing against a soccer
team you know you should beat, you probably feel confident, don’t you? This is
good because you’re confident in your abilities and in your team’s abilities as
well. But this is being confident in a game when you're playing against a
lesser opponent....
But how do you play well in big soccer
games, against teams that are better than yours? Against those teams that are
even intimidating. The Manchester United's and Real Madrid's of your league.
Or how about when you’re in a big soccer game, that's being watched by family
and friends and a large crowd? This can be nerve-racking, sure, but think about
it this way: All these people are supporting you and want you to do well. In
fact, they know you’ll do well, and are very proud that you made it to where
you are. So think positively! This will help you play better.
If you're playing a good soccer team,
and you know it will be a difficult match, ease yourself into the game. But not
in a lazy manner. Just play smart soccer and not outside your capabilities. In
chess, this is called “playing the board.” In other words, pretend you're not
playing another team but rather playing in a way that does the most justice to
your abilities and the game of soccer itself. This means getting back to the
fundamentals of soccer, such as figuring out the right pass to make, playing
the way you're facing, playing one and two touch soccer, dribbling in the
attacking third, and not playing dangerous square balls in the midfield.
But many times, related to nerves or
confidence, some soccer players have difficulty getting into games. They might
feel it’s necessary to make a good pass, a move or cut, to dribble by someone,
get an assist, or even score a goal before really getting into the game and
feeling comfortable. If you feel this way, that’s fine. It’s a completely
natural feeling. But if you let it become too overbearing, you might find
yourself obsessed with not making mistakes, and this can seriously hinder your
performance and momentum. You might force things on the field and try to beat
two or three players when you should just lay the ball off and play simple one
and two touch soccer.
This can be made worse because of
excitement. When we get excited about a game, we sometimes play too much as an
individual instead of as a team. What happens is that you might play as if the
focus or spotlight is directed entirely on you, and you then neglect the team
aspect of the game. You may, for example, try to make that difficult long pass
or dribble past multiple players in your own defensive third. Simply put,
you’ll do riskier things when you’re preoccupied with your own nervousness and
excitement.
We need to prevent this from happening.
How? Well, to be blunt, cut the heroics. Think about what you do well and focus
on doing that instead of trying new moves or new techniques that you’re not
100% comfortable with. Don’t think that you need to increase your contribution
when things aren't going well. Instead, take a step back and see what you can
do to help the team.
Don't forget to have
fun. Yes, this is something can easily get
lost in the game when we worried about impressing the coach or not making a
mistake. Get your head up and be strong in your body, ready to play smart
soccer but also to fight and win the ball. Think about all the joy you get when
playing the game and what you do well - what you offer your team in terms of
skills and spirit.
TIP: At the same time though, sometimes you do need to take risks,
just do it in the right parts of the field and when you've settled into the
game a bit. This is when you can be cheeky. Take chances. Take shots. Take a
player on in the attacking third. Do something ambitious. To see how it's done,
take a look at Alonso beating the keeper from inside his own half. Scoring a
goal like this will lift your own as well as your team’s spirits--it takes some
guts to even try it. Alonso won the ball, made a great defensive play and then
took a chance on goal. That was the key, Alsono worked hard to win the ball.
But what if the circumstances were good
enough for you to make a play, and you made a mistake? Isn’t it odd that when
this happens, you somehow become a magnet for the ball? It’s like the ball is
guided by a supernatural force! Well, this could be because you’re trying to
make up for your mistake by seeking out the ball while in the midst of heavy
coverage! Instead of doing that, you should adjust your play and focus on good
simple soccer and on your positioning on the field. Remember, you’re playing as
a team. There’s no room for personal vendettas on the field.
During intense times, you need to learn
how to walk the tightrope between being confident and overextending yourself.
Being confident means knowing what you can do, but more importantly, it means
knowing what you can’t do. A confident person knows when to takes risks. Take
the game as a challenge, when you’re confident your abilities are up to it.
Don’t charge into risk you’re not ready to take. If the risk doesn’t turn in
your favor, lift yourself up and prepare to fight again. Know that you
evaluated the situation with a clear head and weighed your options well.
Again though, it's important to have
fun. Take Ronaldinho as an example, here's someone who plays with joy
and a love for the game, as you can see in the picture at the top of this page.
Don't forget to have fun while you're playing. If something doesn't go right,
forget about it and get right back into the game with some hustle and hard
work.
