United States Medical Soccer Team

I have been working with this group for almost two years now, and Sweden, although the results may not have been as positive as we would have liked, was a fantastic experience and the signs of a team coming together were shown.  For me it has always been about teaching and helping develop the team and players individually.  Malmo provided me and the rest of the team with glimpse’s of what we can be capable of if we work hard and do our jobs.  With such a tough schedule and everyone having their own lives it cannot be expected that every tournament or game ends in victory.  I have to analyze what we have done well and what we need work on, so that when we do get together the few times a year, that can be the focus.

With much of last year based on building a team identity and style of play, I was happy to see the ideas like keeping possession of the ball, using the wide areas to attack, and communicating well to defend as a team, come together.  It wasn’t perfect and it needs work, but for me we needed to experience those defeats and pressure situations as well as the positives and some of the goals we did score. Finding a balance of working hard to get results but also play how we want to play, which is an exciting brand of soccer, is tough for any team.

I want us to be proactive and take the game to other teams.  I want us to keep the ball, but also have a purpose with it.  Use the entire field to stretch our opponents so that gaps can be created and we can exploit spaces behind their defenders and be dangerous.  I think we have an understanding and the determination to succeed and be successful in this style of play, which is why I am so excited for Hungary.  I am looking forward to the weekend training so that we can build on the positives, and get rid of the negatives.