Anticipating the "Second-Touch" Service

by Ric Miller

(Originally published in the February '96 issue of Scholastic Coach)

     For example, the quickest goal ever scored in World-Cup play occurred 27 seconds into the England-France match at the '82 Cup held that year in Spain. Following a kick-off, a throw-in, and a near post "flick on," Bryon Robson volleyed home the first score in an eventual 3-1 English win. That flick on was an offensive, second-touch ball.

     The problem with most teams' second-touch play, however, is that players seldom anticipate the second-touch ball. Instead of anticipating, they react to it after the fact and, as a consequence, lose scoring opportunities. How often, for example, have you seen a great ball played off an attacker's head continue on uncontested to the keeper, when it could easily have produced a score had a teammate simply reacted quickly enough?

      Diagram 1 shows a set of typical runs inside the penalty box. Five players are looking for first-touch shooting opportunities on the driven serve. But should the ball be cleared out by the defense, midfielders DM (defensive) and OM1 (outside) are positioned in a second-touch zone to take full advantage of shot possibilities offered from any cleared ball.

      These two hold their positions outside the penalty box and don't drift inside looking for first-touch opportunities of their own. Leaving their area would create space from which the defense could easily counter. Second-touch zones, such as the one shown here, are especially important to counter-attacking teams.

      The recent World-Cup match between Russia and Cameroon showed the consequences of leaving this zone uncovered when Dimitri Radchenko quickly countered a Cameroon corner in the 82nd minute to produce Russia's sixth goal of the match (remember the first five came from Oleg Salenko's monster game). With no Cameroon player in the second-touch zone, Russia cleared the corner, then four passes later the ball was in the back of Cameroon's net.

      Another example occurred later in the second round of the tournament, during the Romania-Argentina match. In the 57th minute, Argentina took a corner, this time with players manning the zone outside their penalty area. When the ball was cleared into that area, though, the Argentine challenger tripped, and after a single pass from Gheorge Hagi, Illie Dumitrescu scored at the other end what turned out to be the match's winning goal. And in so doing, Argentina was eliminated from the tournament.

But let's get back to Diagram 1. When attacking midfielder, AM, extends his run (run R1)--and outside midfielder, OM2, adjusts his own run (run R2)--AM's movement calls for service to his head followed by his attempt at flicking the ball on across the face of the goal.

       Here again, AM's teammates must anticipate the flick for the second-touch attack to be successful. If not, the ball becomes a 50/50, and the defense will obviously have a clear advantage by virtue of their greater numbers in the area and the relative skill needed to clear, versus shoot accurately, a 50/50 ball.

       Similarly, a long ball played beyond the far post to a back-pedaling ST2 should be sent back across the goal face, generating another second-touch opportunity if players anticipate it.

     One, the ball could be played long to the front of, or to the head of, the marking defender or striker as both sprint into Zone A for a first-touch shot at goal or a ball laid back by either across Zone B;

     Two, the ball could be chipped over the left-side players into Zone B directly for a first-touch shot;

     Or three, the ball could be played to the head (or feet) of AM as he retreats toward the server. AM, in turn, could then flick the ball on to the front of the right-side players or redirect it to the front of the left-side players. He also might dummy over a ball played to his feet to provide a creative ball through for ST or MD.

     Two of these possibilities create second-touch opportunities requiring anticipation to be successful.

     If, however, the defense gets to the ball first and clears it, two attacking players remain in Zone C (DM and OM) both ready to send a second-touch shot back at goal or, if need be, to block any attempted counter.

     One caution: With so many players committed to attack, it becomes absolutely vital for the offense to avoid playing a chancy ball that immediately places most attackers on its wrong side should the ball be lost. For instance, in Diagram 1 a ball played directly from ST1 to OM1 is risky with both marking defenders running through the goal box. Furthermore, set pieces offer defenders--players usually skilled in the air--a chance at some of the glory so I say let them have their chance!

     The long throw, the long goal kick, and the play off front target players, all generate more opportunities for second-touch play. But because of its importance to scoring generally, let's consider the flank attack as our last example.

Recent World Cup play supports their contention: 64 of the 141 scoring possessions (~45 percent) involved a cross from the flank of some kind (35 crosses, 13 dead-ball crosses (5 corners & 8 free kicks), 9 crosses indirectly when the run-of-play cross (7) or dead-ball cross (2) occurred earlier in the possession, and 7 penalties generated). Further, 73 at some point in the possession involved a set piece in the attacking half of the field (53 directly from the set piece (4 throws, 25 free kicks, 9 corners, and 15 penalty kicks) and 20 indirectly when the set piece occurred earlier in the possession).

Enough said, the crossing game is important, though perhaps it is not as well executed today as it was in days gone by. In a recent Soccer America article, Paul Gardner quoted Stanley Matthews--the legendary English winger. While acknowledging that the winger plays little part in the modern game, Matthews pointed out:

"the players who make use of the flank--midfielders and fullbacks--still have to do what wingers used to specialize in: cross the ball. And they're not very good at it: they don't know how to cross the ball. The art of a good cross is to keep it away from the goalkeeper. To put him in two minds, so that he doesn't know whether to come out or stay put."

Gardner went on to say:

"The vast majority of crosses in modern soccer are speculative balls just pumped into the middle. They rely heavily on the hope that something will turn up."

And, of course, one consequence of these hopeful balls being pumped into the middle is that in so doing even more second-touch balls are created!

Diagram 3 shows typical attacking runs being made to support the outside midfielder's charge down the right flank. Two strikers make near and far post runs, respectively; the left outside midfielder covers the backside of the penalty box; the attacking midfielder supports play at the top of the box; and both the defensive midfielder and the stopper (STP) cover the second-touch space beyond the box (Zone A).

Zones A and B outline regions likely to provide second-touch opportunities: A, should the ball be cleared by the defense, and B, should the ball is laid back across the face of the goal (following a far-post cross). Opportunities are missed by the offense and created for the defense when these zones are left uncovered.

Another good second-touch opportunity might arise immediately after the shot: from a rebound, from a misplayed ball, or from a shot running just wide of goal. The later might be turned into an opportunity if players in the vicinity of goal have developed good goal-framing habits. That is, in anticipation of the shot, these players make runs to get wide of the posts so as to be able to pick up deflected balls or wide shots.

The second-touch concept is simply understood, though most players think only of first-touch opportunities when attacking. As a consequence, too many players get too far forward and thus open up the space between front attackers and back defenders. And too many players around the shot are reactive rather than proactive. At best, these players react after the fact and retain possession but lose a scoring chance. At worst, they lose possession and allow the other team to rapidly counter against an undermanned midfield.

The obvious question then is just how do you improve a player's ability to anticipate second-touch zones and second-touch play? The first step is mental preparation--teaching players, particularly midfielders, how second-touch awareness can help and where second-touch zones are likely to be found. The second is practice: practice with restart and flick-on sessions. Practice develops anticipation before the opportunity rather than reaction after it!

© Ric Miller 1996 (all rights reserved)