2. DEFENSIVE PHASE
2.1 PRESSING
The objectives in the defensive phase are two: - do not take goals - recover ball the fastest and the highest possible Starting from this important concept, I would like to organize a phase defensive that does not therefore have the sole purpose of protecting the our goal but also a means to recover the ball in areas of field dangerous for the opponents. Recovering the ball in the offensive half also has a huge mental and emotional value in the performance of the race: limits the courage and self-esteem of our opponents and increases ours, thus helping us to get closer to that technical and mental domain of field and game that our main goal. Re-aggression: We want to retake a turnover to recover possession of the ball immediately, and we implement preventive coverage and supervision of the area to continue to occupy the offensive and non-offensive half run backwards. Defending team by running forward. On the turnover the player closest to the ball starts the re-aggression but the primary objective of the first player will not have to be that of the ball recovery (too risky to get jumped) but of cover the ball and mislead the opposing player.
Some studies carried out with my staff show that the top team re-attacks are around 30-35 per game with 70% of success (immediate recovery of the ball). The average duration of these positive re-aggression lasts about 5 seconds and is involved on average 2.5 players. They are mainly the midfielders. obviously, the more involved players undergoing re-aggression and the top players in this fundamental they complete more than 12 re-aggressions per game. The areas in which more re-aggressions occur are the half-spaces and the side lines. More difficult to re-attack in the central area (the opponents have more chances to get out) and in the opponent's penalty area where, even if the ball is recovered, it is often immediately kicked away. The team will implement two different ways of defending depending on the game situation and situational context. With ball in the middle offensive field we will implement a high pressing, with the ball in ours half of the field we will be more in line of waiting.
We press high the opposing construction from behind, studying and
preparing the contrast, climbing forward and isolating one or
two opposing players on the weak side. The defensive line plays high
and aggressive and the goalkeeper is essential in ensuring coverage for
central and cover the depth. Recovered the ball in the trocar
offensive we attack the opponent's goal quickly (5-10 seconds
if it does not materialize, we keep possession and take back ours
positional structure). We try to isolate the opponent by bringing him
towards the lateral line. The attacker gives the signal to press by marking
the first exhaust, however forward downshifts are called dai
players positioned behind that go up on the references allowing the
advanced players to climb forward.
From the postponement of the fund we implement a pressing by invitation: trying to
direct the opponent's bets towards a field area or a
specific player we want to attack.
Also in this case we have carried out specific studies: the
big teams in Europe perform about 45 pressing actions a
match for a total of 12-14 minutes of actual play passed
defending forward. About 60% of these actions lead to a
ball recovery and only 10-15% of the time a great team in
pressure is beaten by the opponent's construction. However in the
times when high pressing is beaten the chances of conceding
a dangerous action increase considerably.
2.2 DEFENSIVE PROVISION
With the ball in our half, we reposition ourselves in the positions of
departure and we are careful to cover. From marco-marco (del
pressing) let's move on to the Marco-Copro. We don't want to concede
key and filter passages in the finishing area (reduced to a maximum with
high line and near midfield).
We slide a lot in the ball zone.
If an offensive winger, in the last 30 meters, sliding towards the center
of the court in the ball zone finds a free opponent between him and the
part midfielder, he positions himself internally then towards the area
ball.
The team will have to be tight and short, especially the forwards
they must work connected and ready to recover the balls that come out
from our last game back.
Often the waiting line in their own half is exchanged
for a passive defensive phase.
More and more, however, in modern football we see teams that also
when they defend low they adopt attitudes and mentalities similar to
those used in the opposing half during the pressing phase.
Intensity is almost always associated with a great one
physical performance, obviously an aspect not to be underestimated, but the
the real big difference in the big teams is the intensity
mental, from that ferocious desire to recover the ball
regardless of whether we are pressing or waiting.