I’m going to preface this one with a comment (imagine that). The Region 2 tournament was an eye-opener for me, both in the quality of play from the traditional powers but also the competitive level that our boys played at. I have not done justice to the story of what the Springfield SC U16 boys team achieved both in Des Moines and in the lead up that led to their qualification. I’ll try and find a way to rectify that situation in the coming month, and I’m certain I’ll revisit it several times during the course of the Boys High School season as teammates become foes.
In the meantime, I want to point you to the BBC and Tim Vickery, who dissects the Brazilians win in the Copa America final on Sunday - The romantics met the pragmatists in the final of the Copa America. He offers some wonderful insight, both historic and current, and points to key methods the Brazilians used to win. They are identical to the keys that stood out for me in our boys and their efforts - physical strength, speed of counter-attack, pressure on the ball - that are now universal.
It’s also a great summary of the arguments that occur on the STLsoccer.net message boards when the nay-sayers attack Scott Gallagher SC for their ‘beautiful game’ (with a measure of jealousy) versus the more direct play of say, the Chicago Magic or in Springfield’s case, the Michigan Wolves. Enjoy the lesson.
Photo above features Devon Newport (Glendale 2009) scoring against Ft Wayne Fever, a direct result of pressuring the defense in the offensive third and quickly attacking, in this case at the top of the box.
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