Tag Archives for " Cauchi "

Brazilian Street Games to Develop Your GKs

By Danny Carvalho, 

The following games exist for a long time. Back on the 90s/2000s you could see in any place you would go in Brasil where there was a goal or anything alike, a whole bunch of kids (including myself) and teens playing these games for fun. Little did we know how good these games were for technical and tactical improvement. So let’s jump right in!

These games cover topics such as shot stopping, handling, distribution from hands and from feet, coming out of the line and long kicks.

Game 1 – Goalie wars
That’s no big novelty for most coaches. After spending a few seasons working in the U.S.A I got to witness that this was no Brazilian exclusivity.

Usually played in a 1v1, when one player is shooting the other one is protecting their net. Adapt the size of the pitch and nets according to your players ability, height and strength.

Game 2 – Top goalscorer
Played on a 2v2, this one can be hard for young and less skilled and/or strong players. Just like game 1, the size of the pitch must be adapted to the group according to their specificities.

It consists on each double having a GK and a striker on the opposite half of the field. When the GK has the ball they must kick it or throw it to their striker in order to score on the opposite goal. The challenge here is to pass the ball without it being intercepted by the opponent’s striker. If the ball goes clear to the striker, they must score with two touches max and from out of the box. If the ball deflects on the opponents striker they get an extra touch.

If the striker scores, they must swap positions (GK becomes striker, striker becomes GK).

Game 3 – The Rebatida
This one has multiple versions across the country with small differences on the rules. I’ll use the one I remember and use the most with my players.

Also played in a 2v2, this one starts with the defending team having two goalkeepers and the attacking team starts with one player having a free kick from a set spot and the 2nd player positioned on the goal line right next to the goal, ready for a possible rebound. If there is a rebound or a corner kick, one of the GKs becomes a defender and a 2v1+GK starts right away.

Each attacker has 3 free kicks. Play is over if a goal is scored or GKs hold the ball. One team takes all 6 free kicks first and then teams swap roles.

Pointing rules:
Score from free kick = 1 point
Score from a GK rebound = 2 points
Score from a corner kick = 3 points
Ball hits post + Score = 4 points
Ball hits crossbar + Score = 5 points
Ball hits crossbar corner + Score = 10 points

Game 4 – Three in, three out
On this one you can have as many players as you would like and one in goal as a GK. I recommend no more than five players total involved to avoid boredom and players standing unmotivated.

Set a GK box of an adequate size according to your group. Have one GK in goal and all the other players are going to be attackers spread out on the outside of this box. One attacker must lift the ball so a second attacker scores from a volley or a header. All shots must be taken from out of this GK box.

If attackers score three goals first, the GK gets a punishment. If the attackers finish the ball wide three times first, the last one to finish is the next GK. If the GK saves the ball and holds it, the attacker who just finished gets punished and is the next GK.

By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club,  Brasil

Explosive Goalkeeping Like Keylor Navas

By Danny Carvalho, 

I truly madly deeply admire Keylor Navas’ capacity to reach for balls apparently too far to stop. He is amazingly explosive between the bars and underrated in my humble opinion. This practice was designed to have your goalies make miracles like a UEFA Champions League champion!

Warm Up
Have two cones of different colors aligned with the post and parallel to the penalty kick spot. Right next to the goal posts, have these colors diagonally apart as shown in the diagram below. The coach runs to one of the colors as the cue. The GK reacts as fast as possible running to the correspondent post and then stops the shot on the opposite side.

Activity 1
The coach is going to take six shots in a row, aiming for opposite sides of the goal. The GK must stop it!
This one is inspired by a practice I’ve seen the legend Dida on it. Click here to check it out.

Activity 2
This next one is pure insanity for the GK. I like to call it “I dare you to stop 3”!

Have two goalkeepers positioned each at opposed corners of the six yards. Have a third player at a little bit out of the eighteen yards. All three players with a ball. On the coach’s command, #1 takes a shot shortly followed by #2 and then #3 comes dribbling for a 1v1 against the GK.

Activity 3
I can’t help but end this practice with this fun and challenging drill called “Soccer machine gun”.

Have as many GKs as possible positioned to take shots. Include yourself! A bunch of balls aligned at the edge of the box. On command, the whole crew starts taking shots in sequence. GK must stop as many as possible.

By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club,  Brasil

Stop Crosses Like Cortouis

By Danny Carvalho, 

This very important skill is often neglected on goalkeeping specific training which cannot be accepted by a head coach who wants to achieve great accomplishments in their season. So here goes a simple and basic practice on stopping crosses.

Warm Up
Goalkeepers working in pairs. The goal is just to get the body fired up for the session. Have them throw high balls and kicks to get working on the handling the ball high up and jumping to reach for the ball.

Activity 1
GK in position. Stop one shot first. Run backwards to goal line. Come out to stop a cross from the right side. Throw it back to the person who crossed it. Get back on the line and stop another shot. Run backwards again to goal line to then come out to stop a cross from the left side.

Activity 2
In this next activity use dummies if you have access to them. Otherwise, have the other GKs work as shadows in the box as shown in the diagram below. Each GK stops a cross coming from a corner kick from each side.

Activity 3
To end practice in great fashion, have players in the box actually trying to score as the goalkeeper tries to stop the crosses from reaching the headers.

By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club,  Brasil

Come Off the Line Goalkeeper

By Danny Carvalho, 

This ability is a game changer. It separates the average GK from the outstanding GKs! Not only the ability but the decision making, the timing, the courage, the urgency and the acceleration.

Warm up
Have one GK in the six yard and another facing them at about 5 yards outside the box. Passing to each other back and forth until the player outside the box decides to dribble towards the goal. That’s the cue to the GK to come out and stop them. Because it’s a warm up, the player in the attacking role will let the GK win the play.

Progression: instead of dribble the ball, the attacker takes a big touch to a direction to have the GK run for a challenge.

Activity 1
In this next situation, the GK is going to perform the Sweeper Keeper role like Manuel Neuer did in the famous clash Germany x Algeria in the 2014 World Cup playoffs on the extra time.

Have three players positioned as wingers and a striker at about 30 to 40 yards from the goal. Coach on the ball, GK on the goal line. Coach is going to send a long ball on the space behind the defense towards one of the attackers. GK must be first to the ball.

Activity 2
GK on goal, two players coming one at a time from diagonal angles to work on 1v1s to come out the line. The GK starts facing the net. On the coach’s whistle, GK turns, and the attacker will already be running with the ball. This will make the GKs work on their speed of reaction.

Activity 3
To end with, we are going to work on the GK + last defender dynamic on a 2v1. On this one, the defender will be advised to cut the pass and force the attacker with the ball to challenge the GK. That’s when the GK is going to work on their coming out of the line ability.

By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club,  Brasil

Goalkeeper Distribution Following Cruyffs Principle

By Danny Carvalho, 

The one and only Johann Cruyff once said a phrase that is forever immortalized in soccer for the ones who appreciate attacking and possession-based soccer. It was something like: “In my teams, the goalie is the first attacker, and the striker the first defender.”

As I’m a big fan of this philosophy, I like to often times on the GKs specific practice work on distribution and playing from the back.

This a session usable to every age group.

Warm Up
GKs are going to be working in pairs. Start five to ten steps apart depending on the level and age group.
1- Two hands chest throw (10 times)
2- One-handed side shoulder throw (10 times each arm)
3- One-handed over shoulder throw (10 times each arm)
4- Short passing back and forth (10 times each foot)
5- Long passing back and forth (6 times each foot)

Activity 1
GKs taking turns on goal, another two GKs open wide. One of the open wide GKs takes a shot on goal. The GKs on the spot must save it and then throw it to the opposite open wide GK. The principle here is to stop the shot first and then as soon as possible distribute on opposing side of the play, thinking about the game situation where when the play comes from one side, this is probably the most crowded place on the field in the moment. By throwing it to the other side, we are thinking about starting quickly a counterattack on the open side.

Activity 2
In this activity we are going to emphasize the building from the back moment. Now we will have two players on the side of the box, one on each side. The GK is now going to work on pass to one side, move to the bottom line to support the player, receive it back, turn and switch the play and so on for a set time. On the coaches’ whistle, sharp pass to one of the two mini goals positioned in a diagonal angle as the midfielders to progress up the field.

Activity 3
In this last activity we are going to play a possession game focused on the GK getting used to play with their feet and play under pressure in the box. The numbers of this confrontation will depend on the GKs age group and ability as well as the quantity of GKs available at practice. If they are beginners, maybe a 5 v 1 is the best option. As the coach, jump in to help if needed. If they are medium to advanced level, 4v1, 4v2 or 5v2.

Have each GK play from 1min to 2mins in their original goalie position and then rotate. Obviously, if the player(s) in the middle wins the ball, try to score and the GK tries to stop them from scoring.

By Danny Carvalho, DOC at Corinthians Campinas Youth Club,  Brasil