During the 2010 World Cup, Jürgen Klinsmann, the television announcer for ESPN and ex-coach of the German national team, noted that the main difference between the American game and that of European powerhouses was that European players are better at making decisions on their first touch. He bluntly said that in the American game it’s just not there.
Despite the array of individual soccer skills with which players can entertain the spectators, few sights in soccer are as rewarding as the penetrative move made up of a series of first-time passes. It’s where teamwork, the essence of the game, reaches its height. Foreign players learn the importance of this skill at an early age and realize its importance. If the USA national team isn’t doing it well, then how can you train your youth players to become good at the first touch game?
Just as every player should think defensively when their side loses possession, every player should think positive and offensively when they regain it. The first-time ball is the extreme example of ‘thinking positive’. And it’s when two or more players all think positively and move and play in sync (sometimes as many as seven or eight), that the best team moves occur.
In general, the more effective a team’s tactics, the fewer and quicker the passes and touches need to be. Time is the defense’s friend, enabling them to organize and cover, and quick one-touch moves can be devastating simply because it doesn’t allow them to set up. Ultimately, penetration is what cuts open the defense.
Not all the movements involved need be forward. The first pass may be a little lay-off played back a few yards as the passer goes looking for a new position. The move may involve a simple square ball or a ball inside the fullback may be followed by a first time cross from the winger to the head of a forward running in.
To play a ball first time assumes that the passer has assessed the movement of others and the possibilities before he receives the ball. One-touch play therefore requires a certain level of vision and awareness. As for soccer drills, one-touch practice games will help players make decisions quickly and get them thinking a play or two ahead.
There are any number of drills that can accomplish quick-thinking and action in young players of any age. As a coach, let your players know that soccer is a game of thought as much as skill and to always be aware of surroundings and take note of how plays form. For the very young players, awareness can be introduced by creating drills in which they are forced to keep their eyes off of the ball. Drills or games that involve dribbling while taking in the entire field can be helpful.
Successful first-time play relies above all on movement, the ability of players to move and make contact with the ball in a way that the defenders can’t react fast enough. A defender’s job is the most difficult when both the ball and a number of players are moving quickly. Successful first-touch plays can literally pull a defense apart and make your team an offensive power.
