So US Soccer has announced 2 big movements this week – Small Sided Game Adoption and a yearly calendar as opposed to school calendar for ages on travel teams. First the move to small sided games across the age groups – this is something that I think most of Indiana has moved to at least at the travel level and one thing that I feel is hugely important. The fewer players on the field the more decisions a young player has to make – the more a player cannot hide. With 3 v 3 and 4 v 4 at the U8 levels each player has to be engaged and make lots of moves and decisions per game. In the US we still need to worry more about player development and less about winning or losing games. Listen those of us who have coached Rec soccer have seen coaches stack the best players on one team loading the middle with the biggest and strongest kids playing them the entire game to win games and that elusive Rec Championship trophy (listen that has been the standard now for 20 years). I ask you how many great US players has that produced? Maybe 5, 10 (other than Goalies) that have truly played at the highest level in the world’s top leagues? Meanwhile the Dutch – 1/20th our size continue to produce some of the top players in the world. Its about player skill development and the freedom to create, make decisions and try things out. Well meaning commissioners and coaches think – hey lets just make our U6 league 6 v 6 so all the kids can play more. Well they can’t create and move when there are too many kids crowding the field.(Would you play 8 on 8 in basketball?) If you have 4 on the field there should be 2 subs waiting (I prefer free flow subbing on throw-ins at all ages so you can take the tired kids out). Either way most of the time the more kids you add – the less the players develop in games. Another is the practice to game time ratio – many teams will play 2 weekend games but only practice once. It should be 2 or 3 practices for every league game. With tourneys and leagues – we all play too many games per practice time in the US. On the age moving from school calendar to yearly calendar – I only know that the rest of the entire world does it this way and that’s why the change is taking place. I do think this will obviously give clubs some growing pains in the US as kids who have been age/grade specific will be ripped away from their teams and kids they know to play with other teams that match this new guideline. It won’t be an easy transition – but I do understand if the rest of the world does it that way, perhaps long term at least we have to adapt. While we are on the youth Soccer Side – I refereed a bunch of youth games (U7,8) games this weekend and noticed the age old issue we have with parents on the side line trying to help their young kids play. Here’s another point from former US National Team player and World Cup Winner and soccer mom Please Let the Coaches Coach.
Ok so moving on to professional soccer now the EPL plays on NBC this Saturday 12:30 with US Keeper Timmy Howard backstopping the Toffies in their heated matchup with Tottenham, meanwhile in Germany Bayern Munich takes on Bayern Leverkusen at 12:30 Sat on Fox Sports 2. Its Rivalry Weekend in MLS – as Portland travels to Seattle on ESPN Sunday at 5 pm, and the top 2 teams in the Eastern Conference the New York Red Bulls face off with DC United at 7 pm on Fox Sports 1. Finally Thurs-Tues of next week the international break is upon us (Read no EPL or Foreign league Games) for European Qualifying and plenty of friendlies including the US vs Peru Friday night. (See the full schedule below).
The Girls CHS team will be hosting an invitational at Murray stadium hosting 3 of the top 10 teams in the state. Carmel will play Fishers at 9 am and Cathedral at 7 pm at Murray Stadium. JV with our own Coach Carla Baker will play Fishers 10:30 am and Cathedral at 5 pm on the Football practice Fields behind the Football Stadium.
Congrats to the U13 Girls Gold Winners of the Gold Division at Pikefest with coaches Tom and Carla Baker
Congrats to the U13 boys Gold Team Runners Up at Pikefest
GAMES THIS WEEK
Friday, Aug 28
2:30 p.m., VfL Wolfsburg vs. Schalke 04 Fox Sports 1
Sat, Aug 29
7:45 am Newcastle vs Arsenal NBCSN
10 am Chelsea vs Crystal Palace USA
Liverpool vs West Ham NBCSN?
Stoke vs West Brom, Aston Villa vs Sunderland NBC Sports Extra
12:30 pm Tottenham vs Everton NBC
12:30 pm Bayern Munich vs Bayern Leverkusen Fox Sports 2
2:30 pm Barcelona vs Malaga beIn Sports
7:30 pm Indy 11 @ Ft Lauderdale ESPN3
Sun, Aug 30
8:30 am Southhampton vs Norwich NBCSN
9:30 am Borussia Dortmund vs Hertha Fox Soccer
11 am Swansea vs Man United NBCSN
12 noon Roma vs Juventus (Italy) beIn Sports
1 pm UF vs FSU Womens College SEC Network
3 pm Monaco vs PSG (FR) beIN Sports
5 pm Seattle Sounders vs Portland ESPN
7 pm New York Red Bulls vs DC United Fox Sports 1
9:30 pm Washington vs Portland Thorns NWSL Fox Sports 1
Thur, Spet 3 Euro Qualifying
2:45 pm Italy vs Malta Fox Sports 1
2:45 pm Belgium vs Bosnia + Herz Fox Sports 2
2:45 pm Netherlands vs Iceland ESPN3
Fri, Sept 4 Euro Qualifying
12 noon Georgia vs Scotland ESPN 3
2:45 pm Germany vs Poland Fox Sports 1
2:45 pm Hungary vs Romania Fox Sports 2
2:45 pm Ireland vs Gibraltar ESPN 3
2:45 pm Portugal vs France (friendly) Fox Soccer Channel
7 pm USA vs Peru Fox Sports 1
10 pm Mexico vs T+T ESPN 3, Univision
Sat, Sept 5 Euro Qualifying
12 noon England vs San Marino Fox Sports 2
12 noon Russia vs Sweden ESPN 3 +Desportes
2:45 Switzerland vs Slovenia Fox Sports 2
2:45 Spain vs Slovakia ESPN 3
4 pm Brazil vs Costa Rica (Friendly) beIN sports
7:30 pm Indy 11 vs Jacksonville (home) Ch 8 + ESPN 3
Sun, Sept 6 Euro Qualifying
12 noon Wales vs Isreal Fox Sports 2
12 noon Latvia vs Czech Republic Fox Soccer Channel
2:45 pm Italy vs Bulgaria ESPN 3 + Desportes
2:45 pm Bosnia vs Andorra Fox Sports 2
7 pm Columbus Crew vs Dallas Fox Sports 1
Mon, Sept 7 Euro Qualifying
12 noon Armenia vs Denmark Fox Sports 1
2:45 pm Scotland vs Germany Fox Sports 1
2:45 pm Northern Ireland vs Hungary Fox Sports 2
2:45 pm Ireland vs Georgia Fox Soccer Channel
Tues, Sept 8 Euro Qualifying
1 am Argentina vs Mexico (friendly) ESPN 2
2:45 pm England vs Switzerland ESPN 3 + Deportes
2:45 pm Macedonia vs Spain Fox Sports 1
2:45 pm Sweden vs Austria Fox Sports 2
8:30 pm USA vs Brazil (friendly) ESPN
USA GAMES
Fri, Sept 4 USMNT vs Peru Fox Sports 1 (RFK)
Tue, Sept 8 USMNT vs Brazil ESPN (Foxsborough)
Thur, Sept 17 USWNT vs Australia Fox Sports 1 (Detroit)
Sun, Sept 20 USWNT vs Australia ESPN 2 (Birmingham)
Fri, Oct 9 USMNT vs Mexico – Fox Sports 1 – Confed Cup Playoff
Full EPL Schedule on NBC along with Capital One Cup + FA Cup
German Bundesliga Games on Fox Sports 1 + 2
USA
New Player Development Initiatives Small Sided Game instructions and why
All Important October Matches loom Large for US and U23s
Who Might Be on the Roster for Sept Friendlies?
USMNT players stay hot – US Soccer
US Overseas Bedoya helps Nantes remain unbeated in Ligue 1
USMNT youngster Gedion Zelalem joins Rangers on loan from Arsenal.
US Defender Geoff Cameron Wins Game on Penalty Kick for Stoke City
US Mexico to get Even Split of Confed Cup Playoff Tix
WORLD SOCCER
100th Copa America Will be Played – Where is the Question
Champions League Group Draw – Man City in Tough Group
European Soccer Recap Ben Lyttleton SI
Serie A Season Preview – Ben Lyttleton SI
Saves of the year in Uefa or Champions League
EPL
Man City is Clear Leader in the EPL – Peter Berlin
Top 5 Saves in the EPL this week – ah the Real Petre Cech is back!
Liverpools Balotelli loaned back to AC Milan with good behavior Clauses
League Cup 9/21 3rd Round Draw has Arsenal vs Spurs and for US Fans- Fulham vs Stoke
MLS and NASL
Rivalry Week is back with Portland vs Seattle and DC United vs NY Red Bulls
What to expect this weekend in MLS
Week 25 Rankings MLS Brian Straus SI
Week 25 rankings Jason Davis ESPN FC
MLS Table Week 25 shows logjam in the west
Vancouver proud to win Canadian Championship
Indy 11 Watch Party for 8/29 at Ft Lauderdale Game Saturday, August 29 at Fort Lauderdale Strikers – 7:30 pm at Chatham Tap Fishers
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