apology. my screenshot did not capture the entire table.
here's the right one.

yup im having alot of fun from dat cup it exciting, n im very happy with my performance didnt made any mistake tought lol maybe have haha but still im very happy dat i did sm gd supply assisting to my teammates

though my team didn't get into the final....still, this football session lighten up my mood for my earlier morning mishap.....

the next challenge will be somewhere in mid-year.
however, it may involved only regulars with certain criteria.
meanwhile, attend trainings regularly and we will release the information in due time.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kent:
apology. my screenshot did not capture the entire table.
here's the right one.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ting Fu:
though my team didn't get into the final....still, this football session lighten up my mood for my earlier morning mishap.....

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Ya...we had a lot of fun watching the penalty shootout...guessing who will convert and who will miss...haha

quote:

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Originally posted by Kent:
the next challenge will be somewhere in mid-year.
however, it may involved only regulars with certain criteria.
meanwhile, attend trainings regularly and we will release the information in due time.

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hahaha....sounds interesting.........

I'm excited about the upcoming mystery events too.

Anyway, the 7-a-side BB Cup showed that passing football is lacking, yet the smaller pitch & goal made it necessary to do so.

Especially around the penalty area when we try to breakdown the defence wall while keeping possession to prevent a counter-attack if we lose the ball easily.
We need to be able to string more than 5 passes while we create/look for space amidst the crowded area - be it the penalty area or midfield.
The abilty to pass the ball around systematically from our defending area and releasing it quickly to the midfield, made it more probable to launch an effective counter-attack instead of clearing the ball up and hoping the forward can get the aimless clearance.

The handicap of a single forward also showed the weakness of relying on crosses from the wings. However, that's the real test of a "in-the-box-predator" when the centre forward often find himself outnumbered or shut-off by the central defenders. He has to think and move quickly, and most importantly to anticipate when, where & how the cross will come in - eg. firstly getting in front of the defender, then meet a low hard cross at the near post - especially when the goal is so small and low.
Otherwise, it doesn't matter how many crosses we hit across the face of the goal, it won't hit the back of the net.

After pointing out the flaws above, I will have to point the finger at myself too 'cos I wasn't able to think on my toes and create enough promising chances for the team, even though we had a decent amount of possession.
That's the evidence of the lack of movement training and team buildup play. One of my teammate even mentioned that BB Bros know each others' technique too well to be able to dribble past them easily, plus there's always another defender to provide cover.
Too many times I find myself stranded at the flanks or simply lost for ideas and I could only choose to swing the ball in without an effective support play, or run round the defense but not behind.
Besides the goal size, the lack of goals in this tournament partly has to do with the inabilty to create space for a decent chance, instead of a shot into a wall of players or a harmless header over the bar.

The BB Cup revealed the weaker aspect of our skills but it also hinted that we can play good football too with glimpses of great team movement and ball distribution when the players are all more concentrated on their individual performance. There were some players whom I was very impressed. Some showed that they are really dominant & influential in the centre of the park, some showed steel in defence, and some of the youngsters displayed guile and ferocity in attack.

Hence, may i suggest the possibility of two teams of 7/9-a-side playing at the same time on each half of the pitch (alike the BB CUP) for the full 2 hr we have, for let's say once a month or so.
This will allow for more touches of the ball from each player, amplify the need for good ball control, and promote a more familiarised passing game as we seek out space to score. With four teams of 9 players + 1 sub only, we are also allowing more participating members each week and with more playing time too. As our club is growing and more regulars to the squad, I often see players at the sideline (raising their hand) anxious to get on the pitch to play, and the 30-45mins never seem enough. You know who?

good to know our guys enjoyed the tournament.
also, that's a very extensive analysis from Joseph and quite an intriguing idea u got there.

i'm quite open to new ideas to keep things fresh, though i personally think 11 aside would yield better passing football.
reason being that with smaller pitch, players generally ram on sight rather than building up the play.
chances that with lesser space, players would take the safer route to clear the ball than passing it wide.

for improvement, my emphasis is a little different.

in my opinion, no amount of game minutes can help a striker to be a more lethal or a player to head better, be it 7 or 11 aside.
it all boils down to practicing the right thing.

instead of always concentrating on how to score a stationary ball, one could attempt striking at a moving ball, which is more frequent scenario in reality and far more challenging.
player could take free kick like beckham but struggle to trap a ball, complete a simple pass or even do a legitimate throw-in.
not that i strongly object to this habit since we are only playing for fun, but i thought there are more essential fundamentals if one desires to improve.

as much as i would like to bring some drills into the picture, but it would be at the expenses of our game time.
i can only encourage players to practice in pairs/groups before the game, during half time and while waiting to be substituted.

anyway, back to what Joseph has suggested wrt smaller pitch. we will never know until we try.
and if we do, 7 aside would be a better choice as having 18 players in half pitch may be too cramped.

just jotting down some of the considerations aloud:
- we will need 4 keepers/last man for 4 teams
- 2 refs; 1 for each pitch.
- to have 28 players arrives punctually may be a tall order. of course, we could start 14 players on half pitch first, while the remaining players can wait till they form another 14, provided that there isn't too many pilots.

meanwhile, we could open this topic to the floor and collect responses from our players. if deemed favourable, i believe something can be arranged.

Personally i like the idea of 7 a side using the small pitch for Training as i believe the pass and movement aspect is stronger. However i like to stress that what we see in BB cup will be different from a training perspective.

the BB cup was a competition and hence every team used different tatics..i won't mind sharing our team's tatics. We forgo the Midfield and played on the counter-attack.
However if we use 7 a side for TRAINING purpose i am sure we will see alot more passing (due to smaller pitch, like futsal) and more adventurous tatics.

I guess no harm if we mix things up once in a while :)

or maybe we can even play 11-aside for 45 mins and then split to 7-aside for the remaining 45 mins.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kent:
good to know our guys enjoyed the tournament.
also, that's a very extensive analysis from Joseph and quite an intriguing idea u got there.

i'm quite open to new ideas to keep things fresh, though i personally think 11 aside would yield better passing football.
reason being that with smaller pitch, players generally ram on sight rather than building up the play.
chances that with lesser space, players would take the safer route to clear the ball than passing it wide.

for improvement, my emphasis is a little different.

in my opinion, no amount of game minutes can help a striker to be a more lethal or a player to head better, be it 7 or 11 aside.
it all boils down to practicing the right thing.

instead of always concentrating on how to score a stationary ball, one could attempt striking at a moving ball, which is more frequent scenario in reality and far more challenging.
player could take free kick like beckham but struggle to trap a ball, complete a simple pass or even do a legitimate throw-in.
not that i strongly object to this habit since we are only playing for fun, but i thought there are more essential fundamentals if one desires to improve.

as much as i would like to bring some drills into the picture, but it would be at the expenses of our game time.
i can only encourage players to practice in pairs/groups before the game, during half time and while waiting to be substituted.

anyway, back to what Joseph has suggested wrt smaller pitch. we will never know until we try.
and if we do, 7 aside would be a better choice as having 18 players in half pitch may be too cramped.

just jotting down some of the considerations aloud:
- we will need 4 keepers/last man for 4 teams
- 2 refs; 1 for each pitch.
- to have 28 players arrives punctually may be a tall order. of course, we could start 14 players on half pitch first, while the remaining players can wait till they form another 14, provided that there isn't too many pilots.

meanwhile, we could open this topic to the floor and collect responses from our players. if deemed favourable, i believe something can be arranged.

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LMAO....don't need lah.....we survied 3 on 3 before......so shouldn't be any problem.....

 I agree with Kent in the sense that playing 11 a side would be the best approach for passing football, and the best to improve would be playing in the actual game scenario.

I am against the idea of playing 7-a side on a regualr basis for the simple reason that it does nothing to improve a player's overall game except passing and movement, although these aspects are rather important. But to what end would this serve when street soccer sessions would serve the same purpose? 7 a side games would also result in players remaining static in front of the goal posts, as all they have to do is put bodies there to stop the opposition from scoring, as seen in the blue team's performances in the cup. Overall this would be detrimental to the game on the whole. We must also bear in mind the vision of the team, that being we are a social football club, and not everyone will enjoy playing 7-a side, myself included. If the aim is to train players to improve, meaning that our vision would be shifting towards a more competitive one, then first we would have to look at really governing the attendance, making sure that only those that are truly serious about improving and are fully committed to the club are allowed to attend, otherwise, all the time spent on drilling might be wasted. Then again, how does one decide who is fully committed and who is worthy? As long as we continue to remain a social football club, the emphasis should be on player's enjoyment, improvement should be secondary.

All in all, at this level, a player's improvement all comes down to desire. If you have the determination and willpower to want to improve, you will do it on your own. Take for example Elijah's constant runs outside of training etc, etc. You can only help those who want to help themselves. 

I am all for a session with drills, say once a month, where we book the pitch for an extra 2 hours before or after, see which players are committed enough to train.

I have to agree with Lione. Everyone is different and its very obvious in BB. Not everyone is as fit as *cough* SUPERMANTINGFU *cough* or as determined as *cough* DIEDIEMUSTWINLIONE *cough*. That said, I understand the want to improve on our own personal game. Like myself, I was never a goalkeeper but somehow I now know, I can be a decent one with more training.

7, 9 or 11 a side, it all boils down to how you are on the pitch. I have seen alot of good players and some players have improved tremendously. It all will make others want to improve as well.

7 a side or 11 a side all have their challenge.

Getting all 11 players to coordinate and think on the same wavelenght is not easy n thus that itself is a big challenge. 11 a side is really all abt teamwork as the pitch too big for just 1 or 2 outstanding players to cover the entire ground.

7 a side may be more exciting becos the pitch is smaller n thus more action on both ends therefore for small tournament with limited playing time its more suitable. However becos the pitch is smaller, at times u only need to rely on a few outstanding players to carry the team.

From an entertainment pt of view, 7 a side provided more fun. From a challenge pt of view, 11 a side provided a tougher challenge so to say which is better really depend on individual preferences.

......

quote:

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Originally posted by Ash:
I have to agree with Lione. Everyone is different and its very obvious in BB. Not everyone is as fit as *cough* SUPERMANTINGFU *cough* or as determined as *cough* DIEDIEMUSTWINLIONE *cough*. That said, I understand the want to improve on our own personal game. Like myself, I was never a goalkeeper but somehow I now know, I can be a decent one with more training.

7, 9 or 11 a side, it all boils down to how you are on the pitch. I have seen alot of good players and some players have improved tremendously. It all will make others want to improve as well.

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tsk tsk......u guys call me supperman is becoz u all never seen a fitter ones around....there alot fitter than me around.......alot more....lol! 

The last para of my post was cut off. But most of impt points were up there. I wld disagree with the comment tt stronger players can carry the team in a smaller 7-a-side, as it has less space to dribble or run onto a long pass behind defense. Always remember that we have strong defenders too. They r not here for show, and bcos of them, you'll realize it is even more difficult to: face them when receiving the ball without losing it, leech on high balls alone, or easy thru passes. Clearing the ball more often in a congested defense; ramming the ball in frustration; relying on overhead passes ending up in keepers hand, are all bad habits. All fundamentals training like ball control, team movement, passing, are based on a confined area when opp are always ready to rob your possession, n poor control is like a bonus but to the opposition. Look at Futsal games, but not those street soccer with boundary walls, cos on the contrary those boundary walls are only hiding the fact of a lose pass still ending up at a player's feet. Only in a tight situation, you will realise every poor touch is a giveaway & all the hardwork from your team prior to you tryin to receive the pass will go to waste. Worse, it will be very difficult to win the ball back against a strong & organized team....

Smaller Pitch
...the shorter distance between teammates and the lack of space to run onto an overhead pass encourages quick & short passing.
Players can spot their teammates better for quick exchange of passes. Forwards, midfield, and even defenders can change the shape of the team easily.
Eg. defenders can easily cover half the small pitch size, and so does the midfielders who can cover a larger % than in a full size.
This creates more dynamic (or adventurous) formations & tactics as said by Francis, where even defenders might score in open play.
Less space = smaller angles for passing, but it also means that it encourage players to move consistently to open the opposition, and through time: we learn where & when to move/pass.
Our younger members can also benefit from this 'handicap' or status-quo, whereas our stronger players usually out-pace or out-muscle them in the 11-a-side.
It is easier to communicate & 'play on same wavelength' when teammates can readily render support in attack or defense.
Players are better able to understand their different roles and each of their influence on the overall team's shape and strength.
We should not play with the belief that a few talented players can carry the entire team in football, instead, each player has their impact on the game even if they are not on the scoresheet.

Smaller Goal
...I can easily understand Lione's frustration against the Blue team in our last group match during the BB Cup.
We dominated the game with superior possession in their penalty area, but they had at least 3 players in front of their keeper in the small goal.
But we had plenty of chances, some 50-50, and few better chances went begging.
Any long ball counter (clearance) from them were comfortably snuffed out by our confident & mobile defense, and then passed to our attackers for the next onslaught.
However, it was a 20min game, and they were on the verge of breaking down towards the end.
It might have been different if it wasn't a competition, and they had required more than a point to progress to the finals.
The human wall is only a result of the competitiveness nature of the cup.
At the end of it, we could only say IF we had created MORE space & chances, or put away those that we made.
Nevertheless, I found that the width of the half-pitch allowed ample space for teamplay building, especially in the midfield area.
ie. there is sufficient space to play the ball (pass/dribble) in the lateral direction of the small pitch instead of a single-minded forward play. (9-a-side may be possible)
And by doing so, it stretches the opponents, and thus creates space amongst the defense.
The forwards were also able to drop to the midfield easily and exchange passes with the midfielders better in the 7-a-sides.

During the Gan Eng Seng sessions, didn't we all see better passing & movement, and more involvment from every player, defender or attacker?
More flair and more goals too.

The purpose of a smaller playing pitch is not about my personal preference or enjoyment, but just because i see the better prospects of it as mentioned above.
Initially, it may seem detrimental to our familar 11-a-side, due to the space constraints and possibly human walls.
But with sufficient game time, it should not happen, and be more enjoyable.
Slowly, you will find that it definitely help players to think, think, & think quickly and move faster, faster, & faster (not in the uni-direction sense, but in the reaction)
And it's only for once a month. Drills on the other hand is very dry, and I'm sure most of us hate it (excluding me).
We can only improve so much on our own, and it mostly only includes physical training. A right environment consititutes to a right learning experience.