-transformed.png)
-transformed.png)
Player's Guide
INTENSITY EXPRESSION Excellence
Welcome to the Difference Maker Player's Guide
No player has ever become world-class from reading a textbook... this guide is purely a supplement to your training.
Inside you will find a guide for dominating 1v1 situations, evading pressure & other techniques. The 1v1 can be broken down into simple principles that can be learned and trained. The goal of this guide is to aid your in-person training so you have a solid understanding of the principles & vocabulary we will use to train these situations. I have also provided several video examples of 1v1 domination at the highest level - use the role models in this guide for inspiration. Having role models at the highest level is crucial for your development. Even the greatest players in the world have role models (Messi admired Aimar, Ibrahimovic admired Ronaldo Nazario). Enjoy your time reading/watching and good luck on your journey!
*DISCLAIMER: VIDEOS ARE NOT MY ORIGINAL WORK & ARE STRICTLY USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES*
Table of Contents:
-
2 Types of Pressure
-transformed.png)
Video Watching Tip:
​
Place yourself in the role model's shoes. Pretend it is YOU in the videos. See yourself in the role models. Imagine feeling each touch of the ball against your foot. Does it stay attached to his foot for an extra half a second? Imagine feeling the pressure of the opponent. Imagine how the ground must feel beneath her studs with each explosive movement. Feel the excitement of every moment. In your own games and training, you will find yourself in similar situations... and you will have already lived them before.
​
"Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal"
- Pablo Picasso
1) TO SURVIVE: To maintain possession when no help from a teammate is available.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
2) To Punish: To attack by going beyond your opponent to create chances at goal.
2 Objectives of 1v1 Moments
This is Joshua Kimmich, a central midfielder for Bayern Munich & Germany. He demonstrates top-level 1v1 ability when receiving the ball with no immediate help from teammates. We must avoid looking at the game as only a series of 1 & 2 touch passes. On the field, each player has a responsibility to maintain possession or to attack the opponent. Although 1 & 2 touch passes are great, there will be times when 1 & 2 touch passes are simply unavailable. When no help is available, you must be able to hold and protect the ball - to survive with it - until a teammate has become available or YOU have created a new option for yourself. Joshua Kimmich is never seeking out these 1v1 moments - he HAS to go 1v1 in order to maintain possession for his team. Notice that his 1v1 moves are not anything elaborate (only a series of cuts, fake passes, body feints, and ball protection). He is subconsciously following a series of principles and techniques you will read about in the later sections of this guide.1v1 domination in this situation is to be considered a last resort, but an extremely necessary skill required at the highest level - as Kimmich has demonstrated. Enjoy Kimmich.
Joshua Kimmich
This is Christen Press, a forward for Angel City FC & the USWNT. She is a defender's worst nightmare. Press demonstrates top-level 1v1 ability to go past defenders and create attacks at goal. In many of these situations, she is only one or two defenders away from scoring or assisting a goal - she can feel it in her bones. These situations often occur in the final third for advanced midfielders and forwards. Notice that her 1v1 moves are not anything elaborate (only a series of cuts, fake shots, fake passes, body feints, and ball protection). Each move usually finishes with an explosive touch beyond the defender - a principle called the "elimination touch." She is subconsciously following a series of such principles and techniques you will read about in the next section of this guide.1v1 domination in this situation has the main objective of creating chances & punishing opponents. Enjoy Christen Press.
Christen press
2 Types of Pressure You Will Face
1) Pressure from the Back/Side 2) Pressure from the Front
There are 2 Types of Pressure you will need to handle in 1v1 situations. The first form of pressure is Back/Side Pressure (pressure with a defender arriving from behind you or to your side). The second form of pressure is Frontal Pressure (a defender arriving in front of you to press).
1) Back/Side Pressure
For many positions on the field, Back/Side pressure is likely the most common form of pressure you will come up against (aside from Center Backs who deal mostly with pressure from the front). In the videos below, observe Frenkie De Jong, Marco Verrotti and Alexia Putellas (all central midfielders) & identify moments when they escape from back/side pressure. Use the 'principles & details' section (below right) to help you with your observation. The videos on the left show each player's skills throughout a full season. The videos on the right show every touch they had in a single game - giving you a realistic idea of how many 1v1 situations a professional player must handle in one game.
Back/Side Principles & Details
Frenkie De Jong Skills Compilation
Marco Verratti Skills Compilation
Alexia Putellas Skills Compilation
Frenkie De Jong all touches vs Germany
Marco Verratti all touches vs Real Madrid
Alexia Putellas all touches vs Real Madrid
Safe-Side: Ball consistently located on their safe-side (side furthest from the defender) when under pressure. This makes it impossible for the defender to reach the ball without going through their body and fouling. This may also disrupt the defender's sight of the ball.
Central Line Over the Ball: Imagine a line running vertically through the center of your body. Ensure the ball remains underneath this central line as much as possible to create the best possible balance for your movement with the ball.
Low & Wide Movements: Low/Wide movements and feints provide two functions:
1) An increased exaggeration of the body feint to fool the defender (The best players throw their shoulders and hips into the movement to create the full effect).
2) From this low/wide movement, they can more efficiently push from either leg, twist & turn, and hold off defenders. Observe the width of their feet during body feints and turns. They explode away on each movement.
Scanning: The best 1v1 players are the best scanners. Find imbalances of the defender and space to explode into. Where are the defender's feet/hips/shoulders facing? Where is your opponent leaning? Where is your opponent's momentum going? Explode in the opposite direction.
Unbalancing: "If you can move the opponent's body, you win." - Kaoru Mitoma
The goal is to move the opponent one way to then explode the other way. Try to "go against the flow" of the defender's momentum. Unbalancing usually requires wide, exaggerated feints, step-overs, fake passes or whatever feels natural for your body in the moment. Sometimes, multiple movements are required to unbalance opponents.
Distance on your cuts: When cutting the ball to the side, you want the movement to be as explosive as possible. Work on cutting the ball hard with only one touch (rather than taking several touches). See if you can get a bit of distance on the ball so you can aggressively change directions and move with the ball.
Fight for space: Extremely important - often forgotten. When you explode into a new direction, the first battle to win is the fight for space. Once you have cut the ball or turned, you need to get your body back in between the opponent and the ball. The player who fights and gets themselves into that space between the opponent and the ball will always win the ball in the end. Win the space, win the ball.
Arms: Used in 3 ways:
1) To add disguise to a fake pass/shot
2) To hold off the opponent & create distance
3) To change direction. Your body is all connected. Swinging the arm can create momentum for your hips to pivot more efficiently. Pivoting quickly allows you to change direction with more speed.
Heels off the ground: Avoid becoming stuck in the mud. Keep your heels off the ground. If your heels are in the ground, you will struggle to change direction. To change directions, dig the balls of your feet into the ground and push powerfully away - as if you are attempting to move the earth with your studs. The goal is to explode aggressively away from your opponent.
Frenkie De Jong
Marco verratti
alexia putellas
2) Frontal Pressure
This is the classic moment everyone thinks about when they hear 1v1. Imagine a wide attacker who has been isolated to take on their outside back. The 5 players below (Sofiane Boufal, Kingsley Coman, Ousmane Dembele, Lieke Martens and Ronaldo Nazario) are attackers who are brilliant at attacking defenders positioned in front of them. The key stages in taking on pressure from the front are: Start Your Moves Early, Unbalancing, and your Elimination touch (read about these principles below/right). Although these players are masters of 1v1 moments with frontal pressure, there are many moments when they have to deal with pressure from the back/side, but then must quickly transition to taking on a new defender from the front. This shows the importance of being able to master both forms of pressure.
Sofiane Boufal Skills Compilation
Sofiane Boufal all touches vs Manchester City
Sofiane Boufal
Frontal Principles & Details
Lieke Martens
Kingsley Coman Skills Compilation
Kingsley Coman all touches vs Atletico Madrid
Ousmane Dembele Skills Compilation
Ousmane Dembele all touches vs Real Betis
Lieke Martens Skills Compilation
Lieke Martens vs Belarus
Ronaldo Nazario Skills Compilation
Ronaldo Nazario all touches vs Juventus
Scanning: The best 1v1 players are the best scanners. Average players look only at the ball, the best players look ahead. Before receiving, scan for space and possibilities. See which way your opponent's feet/hips/shoulders are facing and explode into the opposite direction.
Start Your Moves Early: Begin your moves early to create uncertainty for the defender. Your moves also create imbalances in your opponent.
Central Line Over the Ball: Imagine a line running vertically through the center of your body. Ensure the ball remains underneath this central part of your body as much as possible to create the best possible balance for your movement with the ball.
Low/Wide Movements: 2 Functions
1) Low & wide movements (for example: step-overs) appear more exaggerated to the defender - which adds to the disguise of the move.
2) A low & wide movement provides you with a strong base, good balance, and a low center of gravity. From this low/wide movement, you can more efficiently push and explode from either leg (Watch Ronaldo Nazario's Step-Overs in his skills compilation below).
Unbalancing: "If you can move the opponent's body, you win." - Kaoru Mitoma
The goal is to move the opponent one way to then explode the other way. Try to "go against the flow" of the defender's momentum. Unbalancing usually requires wide, exaggerated feints, step-overs, fake passes or whatever feels natural for your body in the moment. Sometimes, multiple movements are required to unbalance opponents.
Distance on your cuts: When cutting the ball to the side, you want the movement to be as explosive as possible. Work on cutting the ball hard with only one touch (rather than taking several touches). See if you can get a bit of distance on your touch so you can aggressively change directions and move with the ball.
Elimination Touch: Once you recognize the opponent is unbalanced, a longer, explosive touch must be taken to get in behind and leave your opponent in the dust. This touch effectively eliminates your opponent from the game. Your job is to then return to the safe side of the ball (in case your opponent is quick to recover).
Fight for space: Extremely important - often forgotten. When you explode into a new direction, the first battle to win is the fight for space. Once you have cut the ball or turned, you need to get your body back in between the opponent and the ball. The player who fights and gets themselves into that space between the opponent and the ball will always win the ball in the end. Win the space, win the ball.
Safe Side: Extremely important once the defender has been eliminated. You must either cut off the opponent with your body between the ball as quickly as possible to ensure the ball returns to the safe side. This means the only way the opponent can win the ball is if they commit a foul against you. (Essentially the 'fight for space').
Arms: Used in 4 ways:
1) To add disguise to a fake pass/shot
2) To change direction. Your body is all connected. Swinging the arm can create momentum for hips to pivot more efficiently. Pivoting quickly allows you to change direction with more speed.
3) To fight for space
4) Must be pumping as you explode away with your elimination touch (Entire body is connected - arms help hips move more efficiently).
Heels off the ground: Keep your heels off the ground to avoid becoming stuck in the mud. To change directions, dig the balls of your feet into the ground and push powerfully away - as if you are attempting to move the earth with your studs. The goal is to explode aggressively away from your opponent.
Kingsley coman
ousmane dembele
ronaldo nazario
Training the 1v1 Moment
Unopposed -> Semi-Opposed -> Fully-Opposed
To become dominant in this moment, the principles in the above sections must be trained. We do this through a format of Unopposed Training, Semi-Opposed Training, and Fully-Opposed Training. The common denominator in all of these forms of training is that the principles are performed at high-intensity and at high-speed (because intensity/speed is what the game demands at the highest level). The 1v1 is an incredibly physical action. It is important to include a mixture of tight-space and open-space training to adapt players physically for both situations.
Unopposed Training
Stage of practice where efficient movements, skill moves, and skill combinations are trained - unopposed, but with intensity. Players train without pressure from a defender to master the principles and efficient movements in a controlled setting. This stage features loads of repetition as we are working to engrain good habits.
Semi-Opposed Training
Stage of practice where we train the principles using passive defenders. The passive defenders do not try to steal the ball, but provide the extra challenge for players to apply these principles in a semi-realistic setting. As players train in this stage, the principles start to be performed autonomously.
Fully-Opposed Training
Stage of practice where the above principles are applied in a chaotic, uncontrolled setting. This could take the form of 1v1s, 1v2s, 2v2s, 3v3s, etc... Total freedom is given to players to apply the principles in this stage.
Sessions will feature each form of the above levels of training. Depending on the level of 1v1 mastery, some players may spend more time in one format than another - but even 1v1 masters must continue to experience each stage to sharpen their skills.
Responsibility of a Training Partner
Iron sharpens iron.
We enter the pitch with the objective of making ourselves and those around us at least 1% better each day.
​
We are a product of our environment - so let's make it a great one.
Have fun, express yourself, make friends and enjoy.
​
This is what successful training looks like to me.
-transformed.png)
Location
560 Royersford Rd, Royersford, PA 19468