Training no substitute for Game time

For the last 6 months, I had to skip my weekly Sunday games due to work commitments. In an attempt to stay fit and match ready, I attended weekly Wed trainings religiously, on top of my Monday gym to ensure I'll slip right into the squad should I return to the squad. 

Unfortunately, as conscientious as I was, I found out recently to my detriment that all that training DID NOT keep me match fit. 

I was doing alright in training. Putting in 100%, running, tackling, shooting. 

The red of AC United flows through my being! Not looking forward to its hardening into the infamous bakwa (roasted meat) though. 

Then came match day. A friendly against an old foe. I was so off the pace, my fitness was terrible, my ball control and decision making was abysmal. I was everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time. 

Last Sunday was my second game back in the team. I still felt a little lost, my teammates were asking what I'm doing and one actually told me I used to be much faster to the ball. That 'used to' was a mere 6 months ago!!!

I guess all that training did ensure I did not fall too far off the required pace, but apparently, it's no substitute for a good hard game of competitive football. 

A little bakwa on my left knee and a sprained right ankle are reminders of how far off the pace I currently am. 

I may suck for another 2-3 games. But I guarantee you I'll be back. Better than before. I owe it to my team, but more importantly, to myself, to return to my best and more. 

Bring it on!!

Advanced defending for the more accomplished defenders

At football training sometime last month with RMFTA, we did a simple segment, where a single attacker goes one-on-one against a single defender and tries to beat him to score.

I was pitted against my brother, a 120kg behemoth, who is a rock as a centreback, but as an attacker, not someone that'll make me quake in my boots. So here I am, facing up to my bro, tilting my body to show him to my left so I can move in for the steal when he goes for the shot with his masterfoot.

Instead, he did the unexpected and cut the ball to his left, ghosting past me like I wasn't there. If he took an extra touch or two after getting past me, I might have been able to recover and put in a tackle. But he took the right option for an early shot with his first touch after getting past me, smashing an unstoppable left footer into the net that would have made any striker proud. 

Damn that was a rude wake up call!

Probably overconfidence on my part. And some impressive footwork on his part. (There! I said it! You happy now?) But I also realized there's something fundamentally wrong with my defending in one-on-ones situations. 

Came across a Nike Academy training video that really shed some light. Not just on individual defensive skills, but the collective defensive covering and movement as well. Have a look at the video and you'll understand where I'm coming from.

He who Controls the PACE Controls the GAME

Even at the gym, i wear my team tee proudly!

Had another ho hum session at the gym today. Mostly upper body since I almost died last week from the intensive lower body workout.

But this post isn’t about what ho hum things I did at the gym. It is about what I learnt from Coach Ivan at last week’s training. Yes. Coach Ivan returns! I love him. He’s always giving nuggets of advice to us ignoramuses on how to play the beautiful game, something that I find as valuable as the actual training itself, in terms of improving us as players. 

2 things anyone can do to improve their team

There are little things we as players can do to help the team, regardless of our relative skill level or experience. All we need, is a little effort, and sometimes, just saying something encouraging.

Coach shared with us a nugget of advice the other day, after witnessing a shambolic 2-sided game displayed in training. 

"The losing team, especially at amateur level, is losing because they are operating  as 3 distinct lines of players- defence, midfield, attack. Each line not connected to the others."

Why 4 Short 1 Long?

The name 4 Short 1 Long actually refers to an advice given to me when i attended training recently. The coach explained that after every 4 short passes, you should look to do a long pass to spread the play, especially since the opponents have already started to crowd around attempting to regain possession during the 4 short passes, thus giving other players more space and time on the ball.

It also prevents you from getting yourself into a sticky situation where you pick the easiest short pass all the time, unknowingly playing yourself into a corner and having to turnover possession. 4S1L keeps you on your toes, always looking to switch the play, whilst still keeping possession with short and quick passes.

I like this advice.

What advice has your coach given to you that resonated with you so much it stuck in your head all these years?