So, a few firsts for me this week. For the first time in my coaching career, I conducted training sessions while never coming closer than 10′ to a player and players never actually touching each other, with the same 10′ separation for them as well. And while wearing a face mask! And it was FUN! After 2 months of Zoom Training, Eau Claire United was back on the field this week. I think the players were ready for this, I know the coaches were ready and I am pretty sure the parents were the most excited for their kids to be on a soccer field!!
The grass seemed greener, the air smelled a little sweeter….there was a little bit of energy in the air as well. But I also have to say, there was a lot of questions about outdoor training. The number one issue….the players safety. We wanted to get outside in a big way, but all the talk with coaches was about how to do it safely. How could we make this work? What would training look like….what kinds of skills could we coach? Would players respond? Would they respect the social distancing and keep their space. And after running four sessions last week I have to give it a resounding Thumbs Up! The coaches developed a solid session that emphasized ball mastery, foot skills, dribbling and passing. And it worked! A few observations.
- Players feet were way better than before we shut down the training in April. I watched a bunch of my players and it just looked different. Faster feet, quicker touches, smoother dribbling, and more confidence. So, if there is a silver lining to the Zoom Training, it’s the players really improved in these critical areas of ball mastery.
- No matter how cool Zoom Training was…..it was pretty clear that players just wanted to be on the same field as their teammates. Lots of smiles and lots of energy. Players were very motivated to work hard. Love the attitude.
- Social distancing on a soccer field can be hard! I had to stay very focused on my position on the field. I had to remind myself, you can only touch your ball, not the players! I had to remind players during water breaks, please keep your space. And no matter what….some players just like hanging out and being close…..so lots of quick reminders. But I must commend the players, they were awesome and respected the social distancing!
- I also want to give a shout out to ECU leadership. The time on practice design, the consideration of setting up the field with 10 yard x 10 yard quadrants to provide a constant space reminder made the difference. Players knew exactly where to stand, where not to go and even where to drop bags and get water breaks.
- It’s hard to wear a face mask while doing soccer demos! Oh man, I’m out of breath just thinking about it! And I was hoarse all weekend. When you are shouting directions across an entire field of players spread out….it requires a little yelling. After 4 sessions and 6 hours of that….my voice was shot. Uff da! Someone find me a throat lozenge. Ricola….take me away!
So, we now continue with outdoor training and wait for the next development from US Soccer and WYSA. At some point the numbers will change and we will go from the current set up…..10 people per half field with at least 1 coach. Likely they raise that limit to more players per half. And then whole team training. The big question….when will contact be allowed. And I know the really big question….when can we play games. I would just share a phrase I am very fond of…….Patience Is A Virtue! If/when we can do it safely, we will, and until then, we train with social distancing. And the players will get really really good with their feet, and that’s not a bad thing. The best players in the world have great feet!
Premier League Is Back
The other first is that I watched a live soccer game for the first time in awhile this morning. My last Premier League game was March 8, Chelsea beat Everton 4-0. And then today, a nice Father’s Day present as Chelsea came from behind to defeat Aston Villa 2-1. It is definitely kind of strange watching the game with no fans in the stands and piped in crowd noise. Strange for the players as well since they can’t feed off the crowd, feed off the energy, especially for the home team. With 8 games remaining, it will be a furious finish with games coming fast. Teams will play 8 games in just over 30 days. Playing every 3-4 days. If you want to watch some Premier League soccer, games will be televised just about every day. And the FA Cup kicks back in as well. And the Champions League kicks back in too. It will be wall to wall soccer. Get your popcorn ready!
Premier League Winners This Week. It was a strange week of games. Teams are not quite match fit and there were some interesting score lines as well as a few shaky starts for teams. Top teams did not fair well and gave up points to teams chasing. Only 7 winners this week.
- Manchester City took down a struggling Arsenal 3-0
- Southampton with the same score line 3-1 over Norwich City
- Brighton also taking down Arsenal, 2-1 winner
- Wolverhampton with a solid 2-0 win over West Ham
- Crystal Palace shut out Bournemouth 2-0
- Newcastle United with a strong 3-0 win over Sheffield United
- Chelsea with a come from behind 2-1 win over Aston Villa
Race for the Top 4. Liverpool is not quite over the line and a draw didn’t get them any points this week. Leicester City and Manchester United both drew while Sheffield United dropped a game. Here is the current top 6.
- Liverpool 27-2-1 83 Points
- Manchester City 19-3-7 60 Points
- Leicester City 16-6-8 54 Points
- Chelsea 15-6-9 51 Points
- Manchester United 12-10-8 46 Points
- Wolverhampton 11-13-6 46 Points
The Relegation Zone. 5 Teams within 3 of the bottom three after this weeks results. Only 1 of the 5 picked up a point this week….Watford. Here is how things look. 18. Bournemouth 27 Points. 19. Aston Villa with 26 Points. 20. Norwich City with 21 Points. West Ham (27) and Watford (28) sit just outside the zone.
Christian Pulisic Scores For Chelsea!
American USMNT player Christian Pulisic scored a big goal for Chelsea today to level with Aston Villa and minutes later they then took the lead. He brought some energy and hunger to the game and was called out by manager Frank Lampard for his contribution. So cool to see him scoring goals in the Premier League!
Games of the Week. A few big games in the coming week. On Wednesday, Manchester United #5 play Sheffield United #7. Both teams need the 3 points to keep their Top 4 hopes alive. On Thursday, Manchester City #2 play Chelsea #4 in the best game of the week.
I hope we get to see a few more of these now.
More ECU updates this week as the training continues and more updates likely coming from US Soccer and WYSA. Stay Tuned!