Coaching Youth Soccer - Analyzing a Soccer Match

As a soccer coach, match analysis is simply watching soccer match and observing what is happening in that match. With match analysis, you scout other team's strengths and weaknesses in order to counter these qualities. Here is a common checklist that asks some of the important match analysis questions. It is often easier to start the match analysis with the defensive side, so we will start with the keeper and work our way to the forwards.

KEEPER
Is the keeper part of the team (is he connected with the team)?
Do field players pass back to him?
Does he pass the ball to the field players or smash it down field and hope for the best.
Does he pass to players with his feet?
Doee he throw the ball to players feet?
Does he roll the ball to players feet?
Is he in control/command of his box?
How does he handle high balls?
How does he handle low balls?
How well does he organize walls and set pieces?


DEFENDERS
How many defenders do they play with?
What formation of defenders do they play with?
Are they willing to make runs upfield?
Do they overlap the midfield?
Do they run on the diagonal?
Do they play flat back?
Do they play with a sweeper?
How do they handle flighted balls?
Who is the fast defender and who is their slowest defender?


MIDFIELD
How many midfield players do they play with?
What formation do they play?
Do the midfield players defend and attack.
How well do they support or cover?
Do they play through the midfield players much?


FORWARDS
Do they like to stretch the defense?
Are they involved with the play or just hanging out uptop?
What type of speed do the forward have?
What type of runs to the attackers make?
Do the forwards work together and make runs off each other?


AS A TEAM
What kind of Goalkicks do they take? Short or long?
How are they on set pieces (offensively and defensively)?
Are the set pieces organized (offensively and defensively)?
Do they do a lot of quick starts?
How do they take throw-ins?


As you can see there are a lot of things to think about when watching a game, but you can learn a lot about a team by taking each of the above questions. Just remember to apply what you have learned.