Phil's Keys to Winning a Soccer Match

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and it is one of the most physical. With the World Cup taking place, I am curious about how coaches and players go about trying to win a match. How does the United States come into South Africa with a winning mentality when they are one of the biggest underdogs in the tournament? At any level, how does a team win a soccer game? There is no right or wrong way to go about winning. There is no mathematical formula that tells a goalie how to move or how a striker is supposed to shoot. I have been playing soccer my entire life. I have watched lots of soccer games on television and in-person. I have been on the losing end of games more than the winning end, but knowing how to lose a game helps me better understand how to win one. Losing is beneficial to become a winner because improvement and success comes from figuring out and focusing your energy on weaknesses. I play mostly left forward and center midfielder. My strength is in those positions. My weakness is at defense, but I have teammates who are better defensive players than me to help me out. Now, I am going to tell you my keys and advice to winning any soccer match. I am not perfect. My advice is very general. No team can win every game. Every team is unique in their abilities. These are just my thoughts on the success on the soccer field. An important key to winning is a high accuracy of passing percentage. The best way to achieve this is by practicing with one other person. The game of soccer is about movement. It makes no sense trying to practice hitting a still target. Players, especially midfielders and defense men, should have proficiency in passing on the run. Midfielders and defenders need to be able to pass the ball up ahead to forwards in order to score. It is very hard to find an open target on the soccer field. So, players must be able to execute give-and-gos. They must be able to "thread the needle" between two defenders. A good pass should be crisp, smooth, and the person on the receiving end should be able to handle it without too much difficulty. Passing is one of my strengths. So, I can get a lot of assists because I have almost pinpoint precision to get the ball where it needs to go. Plus, my passing works better when I am under pressure. If a team obtains a high passing percentage, then turnovers and mistakes can be potentially avoided. Thus, there are more opportunities for shots. This leads into my next key. It is always important to take as many shots as you possibly can. You never want to miss a golden opportunity because soccer is a low scoring game. The more shots a team takes, the more likely they are to score. When a team gets past midfield, they should have an all-out offensive mentality to score. Take the ball up the sidelines, bring it into the corner, and cross the ball in front of the goal. Most of the time a player will not be in front of the goal to put the ball in. Do not be discouraged because persistence pays off. Be sure to take advantage of some of the easier shot opportunities like corner kicks, free kicks, and penalty kicks. You practice these over and over again going for quality and perfection. So, when game time comes, you won't miss your valuable chances. Corner kicks and free kicks should be worked on almost every time a team practices. Sometimes, it is even a good idea to design certain plays that fit specific situations. Accuracy in shooting takes dedication to master. When I first started, I was never good at it. Today, I am still not that accurate of a shooter. Shooting takes lots of patience because eventually the ball will make its way into the back of the net. Another key to winning is the goalie. A goalie can see the entire field, so he/she needs to be a vocal leader, especially for the defense on where to go and who to cover. The goalies need good communication with their defenders in order to clear the ball out of the danger zone, and so the opposing team does not get any easy openings or shots. Goalkeepers know where everyone is on the field, and they must use that to their advantage to take charge. Goalkeepers should also be quick, flexible with their body, have fast reflexes, and have good instincts in where the ball is going to go. Another key to winning is communication. Teammates must constantly talk to each other in order to help one another and to work together. Communication helps limit the gaps on defense. Good communication allows the defense to be unstoppable like a wall. Good communication gives the offense more to work with when trying to find ways to score. Communication is key because you cannot see the players behind you. It is not something you can practice on the field. The best way to get better at communicating is to get to know your teammates as much as possible. I gave a lot of information so far. So, I will leave you with two more pieces of advice. First, play your respective positions. Do not try to score if you are a defender. Scoring is what the strikers are for. Midfielders need to play up on offense as well as fall back on defense to help when necessary. Some midfielders will only help on the offensive end, and then, the defense is left struggling by itself. Play your positions, but make sure to spread out. A successful team uses the entire field to win. Spreading out can confuse and separate the opponent's defense, and it can allow for quick breakaways for perfect scoring chances. When players stick to their positions, then the strongest weakness turns into the greatest strength. However, the most important key to winning is to respect everyone around you and to have fun. Respect coaches, teammates, opponents, spectators, and referees. Soccer is a game no matter if you win or lose. Winning is fun, but keep a positive attitude when you lose because you just might win the next one. I just shared with you my thoughts, opinions, and ideas about winning a soccer match. If you do not like what I have to say, you probably would not still be reading this. If you are still reading this, I am no expert on soccer. I am just commentating on what I think is the best way to go about winning at the World Cup level or at any level. Everyone has their opinions, and this is mine.