RantingSoccerDad wrote:I hate the fact that we're viewing "passing" and "individual skill" as things that do not overlap.

I've noticed that too: lots of coaches/TDs talk about technical skills as though they're exclusively related to dribbling. Taking a pass is a technical skill, and taking a pass out of the air is an advanced technical skill. Playing a pass is a technical skill, especially when speaking about outside of the foot, chips, pings, etc.

Anonymous wrote:DC has played with Alexandria for 3 years now. The possession style is preached club-wide, boy & girls, for all age groups. The critique above that individual skills are not taught is not entirely accurate. At U-10/11 (when DC started there), there was an emphasis on players receiving the ball across their bodies during rondos. This later progresses to getting theirs head up to see the next pass or the open space as they receive the ball. These are fundamental skills particularly when you play a possession style. There is not much training on individual dribbling, juggling, finishing, and defending techniques. Players are expected to work on those skills on their own which some do and many don't.

Not an Alexandria parent, but we have a boy and a girl who have played Alexandria teams and we actually noticed that each team, different gender and different age, played a very similar style. My husband says, "It is almost as if they have a club-wide style of play" which all clubs say they have, but few do.

Anonymous wrote:Possession vs. long ball style of play should not be mutually exclusive. Those are both dimensions of the game and one opens up the other. So a coach that tells you that possession style is the only way is wrong.

I don't disagree. The strategy is to open space up for your attacker / create a numbers mismatch for your attackers. When facing a coordinated press while trying to build out of the back, the open player / space may not be in the midfield and may be in the space behind the pressing teams back line.

Anonymous wrote:It's all about having Pep Guardiola coach your DC's youth team

LOL, post your name so he knows it prior to tryouts.

It's all about having Pep Guardiola coach your DC's youth team

Anonymous wrote:Possession vs. long ball style of play should not be mutually exclusive. Those are both dimensions of the game and one opens up the other. So a coach that tells you that possession style is the only way is wrong.

It’s all about position play.

Possession vs. long ball style of play should not be mutually exclusive. Those are both dimensions of the game and one opens up the other. So a coach that tells you that possession style is the only way is wrong.

DC has played with Alexandria for 3 years now. The possession style is preached club-wide, boy & girls, for all age groups. The critique above that individual skills are not taught is not entirely accurate. At U-10/11 (when DC started there), there was an emphasis on players receiving the ball across their bodies during rondos. This later progresses to getting theirs head up to see the next pass or the open space as they receive the ball. These are fundamental skills particularly when you play a possession style. There is not much training on individual dribbling, juggling, finishing, and defending techniques. Players are expected to work on those skills on their own which some do and many don't.

do the girls teams also play the same style?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Must be alot of Alexandria people here. Sorry to burst your bubble but Alexandria makes great TEAMS, but dont develop good PLAYERS!! Thats facts! They have one good team and its the 08 BOYS that they love dearly.

Not true about not developing good players. They adopted their club-wide possession based curriculum when the 04/05s were U9. So just looking at those age groups and younger, they currently have at least 7 players they've developed who've gone on to play for DA teams: 3 at DC United, 2 at Arlington and 2 at Bethesda. Outside of any of the feeder clubs (VSA, PWSI, Arl, Beth) there aren't many other clubs who could say the same. LMVSC - 2; SYC - 0, BRYC - 0, Doradus/Barca - 4, Villarreal/Annandale - 0.

You need to be able to pass the ball, think quickly and have a good understanding of positioning to play at a high level. Alexandria teaches those things.

Well first, don't think that just because some kid plays for a DA team, that he's some great player. If you look at most DA teams, they look for the fast guy out wide to lump it in and guys crash the goal. Not always of course but I would not say that DAs play good soccer. They need to win or else. Secondly, Alexandria teams pass the ball great and have a great understanding of positional play, I agree. But I'm with the other poster who said they make great TEAMS and not great individuals. They spend very little time on individual skills and a ton of time on choreography even at the youngest ages...U9 and up. Don't get me wrong, I love the way they play but if you are not technically sound, it doesn't work and you need to become technically sound on your own if you play there, which is fine, but what you find is that, not all the kids do and then the play breaks down. You can't play out from the back if your first touch sucks.

Villarreal teams attempt to play possession the first 10 minutes of games until their build-up gets stuffed, the coaches freak out and then switch to death by long balls.

I am not with Alexandria. They are the only truly possession-based club we have seen, every team at every age group. If they were closer, I would love to have my boys play there.

Anonymous wrote:Must be alot of Alexandria people here. Sorry to burst your bubble but Alexandria makes great TEAMS, but dont develop good PLAYERS!! Thats facts! They have one good team and its the 08 BOYS that they love dearly.

Not true about not developing good players. They adopted their club-wide possession based curriculum when the 04/05s were U9. So just looking at those age groups and younger, they currently have at least 7 players they've developed who've gone on to play for DA teams: 3 at DC United, 2 at Arlington and 2 at Bethesda. Outside of any of the feeder clubs (VSA, PWSI, Arl, Beth) there aren't many other clubs who could say the same. LMVSC - 2; SYC - 0, BRYC - 0, Doradus/Barca - 4, Villarreal/Annandale - 0.

You need to be able to pass the ball, think quickly and have a good understanding of positioning to play at a high level. Alexandria teaches those things.

Anonymous wrote:Barça is good but crazy expensive. Alexandria has a great philosophy as well if you need a less pricy option.

I agree th a t barca cost is insane and their talent level is inconsistent.

Must be alot of Alexandria people here. Sorry to burst your bubble but Alexandria makes great TEAMS, but dont develop good PLAYERS!! Thats facts! They have one good team and its the 08 BOYS that they love dearly.