Organizing the Defense

Central defenders must be coach-like on the field.

The higher the level of soccer at which you compete, the quicker that things happen. However, the ability of your defense to be well organized is vital at any level of the game.

My teammate closest to the opponent in possession is known as "the first defender." In most situations, particularly in our own end, it is essential that he not be beaten on the dribble. His ability to "jockey" is designed to force the attacker toward areas of the field that are the least advantageous. 

I'll often instruct a first defender where he must attempt to funnel the play, so the attacker is forced away from central positions or into defensive pressure. 

The key to a successful back four is to perform as a cohesive unit. The Los Angeles Galaxy are keen to minimize space between defenders. We work in concert to keep the ball on one side of the field. 

Doing so helps to eliminate or, at least, significantly decrease penetration. The next time you watch us play, notice how our defenders nearest to the ball are angled. We are properly spaced but not so tight that one quick move or pass can put us out of the game. 

To combat the quick pass, defensive concentration is important. That's a fancy way of saying the spaces between the defenders should be smaller than the spaces between the attackers. Thus, we adjust accordingly when the defender who is closest to the ball moves. It's as if there is an invisible chain connecting us. By minimizing gaps, the attacking team must play around us or in front of us. 

We attempt to avoid long passes that create breakaways or set up a one-on-one confrontation for one of their attackers with a lot of space behind our defender. 

Another important defensive principle is constant pressure on the ball. An unguarded offensive player has numerous options, including a successful penetrating pass. When he is tightly marked, his eyes drop to glance at the ball. 

Tip: As soon as that occurs, I instruct my teammates to pinch space. The back four step up together, while our wider defenders move centrally. The second nearest defender to the ball will often exploit this opportunity to challenge for possession. 

The lack of pressure should always send up a red flag. When it occurs, defenders are at the attacking team's mercy. The central defender must shout, "pinch and drop," which signals a retreat with the wide defenders angling inward toward our goal. 

Any ball over the top and behind our deepest defender becomes the responsibility of our goalkeeper. At this time, we willingly concede the spaces in the wide channels. Doing this can buy time for our midfield to recover goal-side of the ball, while the nearest teammate works to re-establish ball pressure.