LCSFYL U9 SL 2025/2026 (London County Saturday Football Youth League) - Sporting Duet

We played in a 1-2-3-1 formation. However, the boys still don't know what a 1-2-3-1 is, and several times the team was on 1-1-4-1, or 1-1-3-2 :))). Totally normal!

The opposition was physically weaker than ours, but they had better knowledge of the game than us. The opposition, tried to play as a team in several moments of the game, whilst our players try to solve problems by themselves. (it doesn't mean we didn't have moments where we played as a team)!

Again, this is a new team, with new talent players. However, the fact of constant rotation to allow all players to have fair time of play during the match, it didn't help them to "read" the moments of the game. It will be something I would like to speak with all parents about.
It is by creating an Athletic Triangle (Coach, parents & players) that we all be closer to see our boys flourishing.

Nevertheless, it was an exciting game, with both teams having several chances to score. This match could have finished like 5-5 or 7-6. However, the good performance from all the goalkeepers involved and some "bad " luck in some shots that ended up hitting the posts or very close to the target, made this match finished with a 0-1 to the opposition.

Last Thursday we practiced 1v1s, 2v2s, and then a both direction 2v1+ GK playing out from the back to reach the half way line, and when succeeded, the practice would become a 4v2 + GK towards the goal (as a simulation) on how to create overloads in the offensive half.
Of course, as a coach I am not expecting our players in one session to assimilate all the principles of play and how to build an attack, and their roles and responsibilities + their decision making, all in one session.
That said, and focusing on what we worked on the session before the match, we managed to play out a few times, either using the principle of creating 2v1s to progress, but also through those 1v1s and 2v2s practiced. Moreover, no one is perfect (players, coaches, refs, parents, everyone), so we all make mistakes. The important matter here, is to all of our players start learning from those mistakes, and slowly building up their knowledge and skills. Each play is different, that is the beauty of sport. There are not 2 equal plays in a game.
However, there are several principles and patterns to develop, to better prepare them to those unique plays.

For the upcoming session, I will be repeating the same exercise we done last Thursday, and depending on their focus and acknowledge, I will then eventually introduce new challenges/progressions.

To the players, heads up - even though, personally, we played better the previous match, we not going to win all the time, as we not going to lose all the time. The importance, is to slowly start reflecting in one or two things each player has done in the match (positive and less positive), and think on trying to repeat or mold the positive one to keep doing it, and the one that needs improvement, understanding the reason why, didn't go as wished, what was missing, what could have I done differently? etc.

Then for parents, a thank you for supporting your child and your child's teammates, and for trusting and leaving the process of their learning and joy, to the coach.

I hope to see everyone in training Thursday!