What can you learn from a draw in soccer?

Every week as a coach you want to learn something from how the team performs in game situations. With that in mind, what can you learn from a draw (tie) in soccer? Turns out you can learn an awful lot if you know where to look. They say a draw is like “kissing your sister”… sometimes it can be much more than that.

This past weekend the Crushers played their first league game. They were away vs. Windsor. Windsor has a tough, talented team and playing them on their home pitch was going to be a challenge. The first league game was going to be against one of the toughest teams in our division. They say if the worst thing you have to do all day is to swallow a frog, best to swallow that frog first thing in the morning and get it over with. The Crushers were about to swallow their frog.

The weather was perfect and the Crushers started out strong, spending the majority of the first half in the Windsor half of the field. The Crushers went up 1-0 and things appeared to be falling into place nicely, then reality hit. Windsor struck back, leveling the score just minutes after the Crushers initial tally.

There is something in sports called the “vulnerable minute” which refers to the time just after you score a goal… that tends to be the time when your opponent is most likely to score. Many teams lower their intensity, taking their “foot off the gas” so to speak. Two things can happen when a team gives up a goal shortly after scoring one. 1. The “deer in the headlights” effect: They stand there stunned and wind up losing all momentum. 2. The “game on!” effect: They see the challenge has been laid out and respond by upping the intensity and regaining their momentum. Fortunately for the Crushers, they chose option 2.

In the second half the intensity was raised even higher. The only problem was that the ball wasn’t going in the net. Windsor scored a second goal on a free kick that dropped in just under the crossbar, taking a 2-1 lead in the second half. The Crushers were on the verge of losing to a team they had been dominating on the field. Again, the vulnerable minute comes into play. Rather than hang their heads in frustration, they came on with even more intensity, quickly scoring an equalizing goal. The final portion of the second half was a potent response from all of the girls to the threat of losing, even tying this game. The team poured on the effort and narrowly (by inches) missed several chances to pull ahead again. Alas, the final whistle blew and they had to settle for a 2-2 draw. It was a lopsided draw to be sure, but a draw.

I think the team learned a lot about its character in the course of play this past Saturday. Their response to the adversity of giving up a couple of tough goals was excellent. Many players stepped up and played their best soccer and new faces made strong contributions to the team. All of this bodes very well for the season, and very badly for Crusher opponents. The “Road to the Cup” takes the Crushers to Avon and Shaker Field for a couple games next weekend… time enough to wash the taste of “frog” out of their mouths.

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

― Mark Twain