The US Women's National Team is the #1 ranked female soccer team in the world. They are the defending champions of the Women's FIFA World Cup, and various other competitions.
The below example from their match vs New Zealand on May 16, 2019 is an excellent example of their style of soccer using possession and build-up tactics.
Rather than doing everything in their power to force the ball to the goal, they are patient and make possession of the ball their priority.
Gradually the New Zealand defense becomes less-compact and openings appear. This is the time the USWNT makes their move.
But until then, patience team-oriented possession of the ball including:
And notice these screenshots from the first time USWNT had the ball near the touch line in the final third, and the second time they had it there. Notice the differences that allowed their attack to happen?
1st time (when they decided to play back & keep possession):
The below example from their match vs New Zealand on May 16, 2019 is an excellent example of their style of soccer using possession and build-up tactics.
Rather than doing everything in their power to force the ball to the goal, they are patient and make possession of the ball their priority.
Gradually the New Zealand defense becomes less-compact and openings appear. This is the time the USWNT makes their move.
But until then, patience team-oriented possession of the ball including:
- Turn the dribble backward to shield the ball, then make a drop pass back to a teammate behind.
- Dribbling back away from pressure, then making a long drop pass to the left back.
- Drop pass back to the center back.
- Center back switch fields forward to the right back.
- Right back with pressure send drop pass back to center back.
- Center back switched fields back over to the left back.
- Left mid drop pass to center mid
- Center mid dribbles backward away from pressure
The rest is just a beautiful attack. But the patient team-based possession of the ball helped stretch the defense out, creating the openings needed for the attack to happen.
It is imperative that players have the technical proficiency to control the ball well in dribbling & passing under pressure, and that they have the tactical savvy and soccer I.Q. to use their teammates to create better attacking opportunities through possession based build-up of the attack.
Here is the video clip:
And notice these screenshots from the first time USWNT had the ball near the touch line in the final third, and the second time they had it there. Notice the differences that allowed their attack to happen?
1st time (when they decided to play back & keep possession):
2nd time (just before goal was scored):
