Why “Keep the Ball Close” Is Wrong｜Why Skilled Players Still Don’t Perform in Games Coach: Yutaro Noma (Private Soccer Training) Player Profile ・14-year-old player (Year 9) ・British student (International School) ・Technically skilled but struggles to perform effectively in matches Main Issue ・Does not step forward while dribbling ・Keeps the ball too close to the feet ・Lacks speed in decision-making and execution The Real Problem At first glance, this may look like a dribbling technique issue. However, the real problem lies elsewhere. The key issue was: The ball is always kept too close because the player is not stepping forward. From the player’s perspective, keeping the ball close feels “safe.” But […]

How to Deal with Long Balls as a Defender | The Mindset You Need Before First Touch [U10 Case Study] Coach: Yutaro Noma (Soccer Private Lessons / Soccer Home Coaching) Basic Information • 4th Grade (Elementary School) • Position: Defender • Private lesson under limited training time due to entrance exam preparation Main Issues • Difficulty handling long balls • Struggles against goalkeeper hand kicks • Unstable first touch (trapping) The Real Problem At first glance, this looked like a “poor first touch” issue. However, that was not the real problem. The key issue was: No image of what to do after controlling the ball • Focus is only on […]