#405 – How to Train an Organized High Press in Youth & Elite Soccer

Mastering the Art of Pressing in Soccer

In this packed episode we pull back the curtain on exactly how we teach teams to press with lethal organization instead of random effort.

We share the cone/flag method Brian used from the youngest ages, live training footage breakdowns, pressing triggers we stole from Bielsa and Pep, how to set traps on weak opponents, when and why we drop into mid or low blocks, hidden fitness ideas players actually enjoy, and proven ways to beat even the best high presses.

Whether you coach recreational, academy, or elite players, you’ll leave with practical concepts you can run tomorrow.

00:00 Intro
04:06 Gary’s Earliest Memories of Observing The Press
05:38 Marcelo Bielsa’s Influence on Brian
06:38 Pep Guardiola’s Influence on The Press
08:12 Simeone’s Bunker & Counter
09:45 How Youth Soccer Coaches Can Train The Press
14:06 Footage of Brian Training The Press (see Youtube channel)
15:55 Pressing With The Buildout Line
16:32 Determining Whether to Press or Sit Back
17:26 When to Deploy a Mid block vs Low block
18:12 Sub Topic: Lines of Confrontation
19:58 Training the Mid/Low Block When You Have A Small Roster
22:55 Bielsa Trained His Teams In Small Groups By Position
24:20 Pressing Triggers
25:32 Setting Traps
27:06 How Much Time Should a Coach Spend Training The Press?
29:14 What If Your Team Isn’t Fit Enough To Press?
31:03 Fitness Is Not a Bad Word
36:09 Fitness Level of Your Strikers
37:09 Small Sided Fitness Game
40:04 Midfield Three Pressing Exercise
42:51 Training The Repress
44:15 “River” Transition Game
47:25 How Do You Train Beating The Press?
51:27 Who Are The Best Pressing Teams?
53:04 USMNT vs Uruguay- Game To Watch To Learn About The Press
55:33 Whiteboard or Classroom Sessions to Teach The Press
58:21 Using Technology During Games And At Halftime
01:01:03 Sub: Veo, Trace, and AI
01:02:25 Promotion and Relegation Talk
01:06:02 How Does Pressing Relate to Promotion Relegation?

Premium Education for either Coaches or Parents

If you are a coach or a parent of a player, we’ve also codified and made available the remarkable work of a coach who trained and shepherded many, many players from the age of 9 all the way to graduating them to being professionals.

The products that show you how this was done, is what sponsors this episode.

Get aboard a proven path, a legitimately proven path, not something copied or synthesized from elsewhere, or worse. No, but rather a first hand account and curriculum directly from the source, from the practitioners themselves, whose work is unprecedented in the American soccer environment.

For Coaches

Learn the methodology at 343coaching.com.
If you’re coaching 7v7, we’ve got you covered at 7v7coaching.com.

For Parents

You don’t have to be lost and confused.
Learn to properly guide and develop your kid through the maze and pitfalls that is American soccer (from the folks who have actually done it).
Gain access at 343masterclass.com.

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