|| TACTICS
Momentum in Soccer
LANG WEDEMEYER // MEMBER SINCE 1991 ; LIBERTY UNIVERSITY HEAD WOMEN ’ S SOCCER COACH ; FAITH-BASED COACHES COMMUNITY
“ We all know it when we see it ,” was the common phrase that came from numerous conversations with fellow soccer coaches about the topic of momentum . Others described this idea as an abstract , almost ethereal feeling that one couldn ’ t quite grasp , but was very evident when one team seemed to possess it while the other struggled .
I had the privilege of going through the United Soccer Coaches Master Coach Diploma last year . As part of the program , each candidate is required to do a project as part of the course . This would be similar to a thesis paper for a post-graduate degree , but with a soccer emphasis . I had been flummoxed with the idea of momentum gains and losses through the ebb and flow of the match for some time with my college team and felt that this could be a great topic to delve into .
The first issue that I had to deal with was how to define momentum in a way that is measurable . There were LOTS of answers to this from calculating time of possession , time of possession in the attacking zones , shots , shots on goal , corner kicks won , timing of goals , time between goals , and the list goes on and on . Often , our sense of momentum is subjective . If you are coaching or have an emotional investment in the game you are watching , you can be influenced in one direction or another by a wide variety of sensations tied to the actions of the game that would dictate your perception of momentum : which team has it , why do they have it , what are they doing with it , and can they maintain it or shift momentum if they don ’ t have it ?
At its core , the definition of momentum in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is :
1 . A property of a moving body that determines the length of time required to bring it to rest when under the action of a constant force or movement .
2 . A strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events .
In sports , we usually see this as a team which is on the move and is going to be hard to stop . It ’ s when things just seem to be going “ right ” for one team more often that the other , to varying degrees . In soccer specifically , we might see positive momentum in a game by the team that is controlling the tempo , connecting more passes , creating more goal-scoring opportunities , getting off more shots , pinning in the opponent in their own half , and where the majority of breaks , bounces , and fortuitous touches all seem to be going their way . Of course , with positive momentum also comes negative momentum or lack of momentum where there is little to no flow to a team ’ s game and all the opposites seem to occur . Lastly , momentum can also be in balance with neither team really gaining an edge for any significant length of time . Momentum can be fairly constant throughout a game or change quite frequently and everything in between . Most of the matches that I evaluated from my college team were against teams of similar talent and athleticism . Of course , momentum can and will often be in favor of one team if that program is much more talented than another . But even in the David vs . Goliath matches , momentum can and will swing in such ways to be the difference-maker .
As soccer coaches , we are always searching for ways to positively influence the game in our team ’ s favor . This is often done though our training sessions , pre-game instructions , motivational talks , tactics behind the starting lineup , and the timing and quality of the substitutions … to name a few .
I kept asking myself questions like : What if we could help our players not only recognize , but have a well-rehearsed plan of strategies that they could implement in critical moments of the game to help them either maintain momentum or shift it in their direction ? Could a coach educate and train his / her players to have better control over momentum in the game to create more positive results by dominating the most critical moments ?
In evaluating the direction the project needed to go , there were simply too many aspects where one could attack this topic , so it had to be narrowed down . Eventually , I decided to focus on what many consider the most “ critical moments of the game ”: The first and last five minutes of each half and the first five minutes after a goal has been scored ( for or against your team ). Although there are certainly large chunks of time in and around these moments where it is at play , these timeframes can be easily recognized as moments where momentum can be either solidly with one team over another , where it can be maintained , or where shifts can occur .
16 | Soccer Journal