Soccer Systems & Strategies

Learn the basics of the four major soccer systems and the different styles of play within each of these systems to help you select the best style for your team. Choose from attacking styles, various defensive styles, and styles that are characteristic of different international soccer powers, including the Latin, British, Norwegian, South American, and African systems. Drills and practice tips are included to help your players grasp and master the system you select.

Teams throughout the world have shown that adapting a system to match players' strengths—instead of placing every group of players within an existing system—is a key to winning. With Soccer Systems and Strategies, you have all the information you need to fit the ideal system to your team and give your team the best chance to win.

The rest of the book focuses on various other aspects of the game, mostly set pieces. Several different options are given, and easy to read diagrams are provided for each of them. The authors also talk briefly about the style of play of different regions of the world (South America, Europe, Africa), and make some observations about each, but this section is really very limited, as the discussion mentions only those general characteristics of each (For example, the South American style is generally characterized by players who are highly skilled with the ball, and teams who try to score as a result of possessing the ball.) and does not really compare and contrast their merits or deficits to any real extent.

Also briefly mentioned are topics such as player psychology, coaching philosophy and methods, and other game situations like penalty kicks. These topics are also relatively limited in scope, although the information they provide is worthwhile.

Overall this is a very good book on tactics, one that is certainly worth reading for the systems of play portion, but the other sections, while they are adequate, fail to live up to that measure of quality. An additional critique of the book is that the Danish style of long ball direct play does tend to predominate some of the discussion in each area. Notwithstanding these elements, however, I do recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about tactics and systems of play.


Planning For A Successful Soccer Team Performance   July 3, 2000
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

An informative book for all individuals interested in learning the basics of Soccer team play and performance.The author provides information concerning the fundimentals, and development of systems of play, & styles of play. Attacking & defensive styles of play are outlined as well as providing information on how various countries have adapted a soccer style of play. Team tactics and technical training are other subjects covered in general terms. There is an interesting and informative chapter relating to Coaching, the role of the coach,methods of training, and building a team. A chapter diagramming plays when there are dead ball situations is most interesting with regard to player alignment, and the vairous steps required to execute a successful play. This book is a good start for all those who would like to get to learn the basics of Soccer team play and further pursue a more detailed knowledge of the game.