Hey guys,
I am not the biggest fan, but i am working on it. Mainly because my daughter absolutely loves the sport. I want to learn more about it to help her learn and to possible help coach someday.....

I know there are some serious soccer lovers on these boards so i am wondering if there is anyone that can recommend any particular site to learn more about soccer skills and game strategies...

What event in particular would spark a newbies interest in the game....

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Euro 2012 this summer.

Speaking as a fellow newbie, it was a combo of things that sparked my interest. The last World Cup did grab me, but the four year wait does make it hard to call it the best way to spark interest. I'd recommend catching some UEFA Champions League matches or some English Premier League matches. You may even have access to the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A or B, or Spanish Liga. Here's a link to the UEFA page listing member leagues across Europe...

http://www.uefa.com/memberassociatio...ups/index.html

Any of those that you have access to will do the job. Obviously some leagues will be of a higher level of play, the ones I mentioned above plus like the French Ligue and Dutch First Division, but I'd recommend finding any of those you can. Then just sit back with an open mind and just take in the game. Once I set aside the preconceived notions that are prevalent in here in the States, not sure what my Canadian brethren think of the game, and gave the game a chance I was hooked. It didn't take long.

I am curious what responses you get in regards to your question about strategy as that would really help immerse newbies even deeper into the game.

Get the Fox Soccer Channel lineup in your area. They show a lot of EPL games.

Tip for your daughter (not sure how old she is), when she dribbles the ball keep it slightly to the outside of her body. Dont keep it in the center of her body. Too easy for defenders to read and defend. Its a tip i try and give all young soccer players. With it to the side you have more control of the ball and easier to go side to side and catch defenders flat footed. If you watch games on tv and pay attention to how the players dribble the ball you will notice this.

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UFHP - Y! 12 GMs - 23/8 pro/farm - keep 17 + all farm
G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, Hits, FW; GS, W, L, GA, GAA, SA, SV, SV%, SHO

C: Backstrom, Carter (RW), Duchene (LW)
LW: Hall, Ladd, Heatley, Fleishmann, Stalberg,
RW: Yakupov, Clarkson, Tarasenko, Briere (C), Hemsky
D: Keith, Seabrook, Voynov, Schultz, Hamilton, Siedenberg
G: Hiller, Price, Greiss, Bernier

Farm:
C: Granlund
RW: Forsberg, Toffoli
LW: Schwartz
D: Rundblad, Orlov
G: Lack, Visentin

Also, get your daughter into Club soccer if you can. Stay out of recreation leagues as much as you can as her main source of the game. Rec leagues is where you learn bad habits, and the coaching isnt that great.

Club teams are more about team unity for success and the competition is higher. She and you will learn more about the game if you get her on a club team. Learn from going to tournaments, watching other teams, listening to the coach. Understand the nuances of the game and the strategy will start to evolve for you.

Until you start to understand the player positions, formations and important areas on the field (30 yds in, outside, center mid) it will be hard to understand someone explaining strategy to you. So start with the fundamentals of the game and game strategy. Learn things like how a 4-4-2, or a 4-3-3 work. The difference between an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder. The use of having your outside defenders join the attack down the line.

Good luck to you. I applaud your approach. Its an easy game to watch, but difficult to understand the strategies employed during the game because there are so many games within the game that you have to identify.

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UFHP - Y! 12 GMs - 23/8 pro/farm - keep 17 + all farm
G, A, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, Hits, FW; GS, W, L, GA, GAA, SA, SV, SV%, SHO

C: Backstrom, Carter (RW), Duchene (LW)
LW: Hall, Ladd, Heatley, Fleishmann, Stalberg,
RW: Yakupov, Clarkson, Tarasenko, Briere (C), Hemsky
D: Keith, Seabrook, Voynov, Schultz, Hamilton, Siedenberg
G: Hiller, Price, Greiss, Bernier

Farm:
C: Granlund
RW: Forsberg, Toffoli
LW: Schwartz
D: Rundblad, Orlov
G: Lack, Visentin

Hey Hybrid,

If I remember correctly you're situated in the Ottawa area so I'm not sure if you'll find yourself in Montreal or Toronto this summer but maybe check out a TFC or Impact game. It's actually a great experience and the kids love it. Definitely recommend that if you're ever in the area.

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Keeper - 23 Man Roster (17 Keepers) + 8 Man Farm Team
G,A,P,PIM,PPP,SHP,GWG,+/-,FW,Shots, Hits - GP,W,L,GAA,SV%,SV,SA,SO

C: Stamkos, Berglund, Gagner (RW), Turris, Zibanejad
LW: Kovalchuk (RW), Benn (C), Kunitz, Lupul (RW), Mcdonald (C)
RW: Iginla, P. Kane (C), Oshie (C), Pominville
D: Phaneuf, Shattenkirk, Kulikov, Leddy, Carlson, Faulk, Kindl
G: Fleury, Lehtonen, Anderson

Farm: Niederreiter, Kuznetsov, Connolly, Soderberg, R. Murphy, Morrow, Gardiner, Rielly

Thanks Rook.
She is in club soccer. Playing as an under age player. I am to the point where I am trying to be as involved as I can to help protect her from politics...lol.

But you keyed on my concerns....i don't know the formations, the strategies, the duties.....etc. I have been watching Some premiere league .... And slowly picking up on some things....

Is there a more exciting team to watch?
(basically, i don't want to be trying to get interested and keep watching the Columbus Blue Jacket equivialent.....for lack of a better comparison)

__________________
"Add Your Voice" - mindcheck.ca
D.I.F.D. - www.difd.com/

In my experience there is a lot of crossover between hockey and soccer. Things like spacing, communication, player movement and puck movement are all very similar. Just imagine the hockey rink as being one small section of the soccer pitch, so what you would have to do to move the puck into the attacking zone in hockey you might have to do two or three times. It may take a while for you to notice all the similarities but the fundamentals are all the same. Keeping your head up, communicating with teammates when they have the ball or when passing them the ball or in defensive situations, and when making passes making sure not to feed the player into trouble. The more you look for ways to relate the easier it will be for you to understand the basics.

Can I also suggest you get out and play yourself. No better way than to immerse yourself. Maybe this isn't an option but even a once a week beer league would give you a ton of perspective.

I would also suggest introducing your daughter to indoor soccer at some point. While there are obvious concerns about playing year round I think that indoor soccer is one of the better ways to learn the game. Players can rely on pure speed in outdoor soccer, but the best way to learn to play at higher levels is to take away time and space and really force ball control.

Finally, you are only going to learn so much about the soccer your daughter is playing by watching the professional game. They play a systemized style that your daughter is unlikely to be playing for a while. The beauty of the pro game is watching the fundamental plays while teams struggle to create one magical play, so it's basically the agony of anticipation.

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Also on Twitter @SteveLaidlaw

Join a fantasy soccer league.

Quick search of the web will give you scads of 'fundamentals' and some you tube vids as well.

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Yahoo weekly starts 12 team league, keep 17 plus farm

GS, W, L, SV, GAA, SV%, SO G, A, P, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, HITS, FOW

3C: H. Sedin,Stepan, Stastny, R. Johansen, Hanzal, Anisimov,
3LW: Burrows, Vanek, Ott, Lupul, Dubinsky
3RW: Doan, Pavelski, Brown, Okposo,
6D: Franson, Doughty, Voynov, Subban, Markov, Gonchar, Karlsson
1Util:
2G: Price, Emery


Farm: (< 100 games): S. Elliott, J. Bernier, Galchenyuk, Etem, Eakin, Atkinson

Thanks guys....I think I am on the right track.

She is playing 10 months a year and i rent school gyms to take her to weekly in the winter....

I have played indoor soccer and liked it quite a bit....just never got too interested in watching it on tv.

She has moved from 5 on 5 to 8 on 8 now and thats where i am starting to lose the ability to be able to relate it to a hockey attack or defense....

Fantasy soccer league....thats an interesting idea....should help me watch it thats for sure. Nice call.

__________________
"Add Your Voice" - mindcheck.ca
D.I.F.D. - www.difd.com/