Anonymous wrote:

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.

Agree. Also - watch Barca's first goal against Liverpool yesterday. Great example of moving off the ball (Suarez) and a well-timed pass that fed him with one touch into the net. Kids at the U13 and above level can learn this (effective movement off the ball and leading passes) if coached properly. This is part of both technical skill, but also mental soccer acumen. I rarely see this in youth games. It feels like it is more about possession and one-on-one skills by the best player on the team vs. creating space, moving into space, and passing effectively into those runs. Possession is nice - but without a purpose doesn't win games (it might tie or keep a game close). Patience is good too, but needs to be balanced with urgency and willingness to take a risk in the appropriate parts of the field.

One parent's perspective.

Villarreal Virginia Academy (VIVA) more than meets our family's needs. Our oldest child joined VIVA (then AUFC) @ U13, moving over from Burke AC and then BRYC. What I found most refreshing was the time taken by the TD and coaches to explain the Club's development strategy and the changes planned for the future; all of which came to pass once the club affiliated with DCU and Villarreal.

Our child played for both A and B teams in six years at VIVA. Plenty of opportunities to move between teams, as well as to attend tournaments and showcases. The club also gave a lot of room for our child to play HS soccer (FCPS).

Our youngest child recently moved from BRYC to VIVA. The journey here goes from BRYC (rec) to BARCA (travel) then back to BRYC (travel). As other parents reported once our child "fell" from A to B @ BRYC, we saw a substantial drop in training, communication, and commitment from the club - yet, oddly, no change in fees!

As both children play HS soccer, the youngest, who more fervently committed to development, wanted the chance -- just the chance -- to move up; whether via coach selection or tryouts. Neither happened, so when the opportunity came to compete for an A team position @ VIVA, our child got selected and now plays EDP and attends tournaments and showcases. The next 2 years look promising.

The differences between BRYC and VIVA are too numerous to post here.

For the record, VIVA plays in the following leagues:

VA NPL
ENPL
NCSL
EDP
ERL