LAPF Magazine summer edition

let’s all play

VOLUME #2 // NOVEMBER 2011

Gold Coast & Tweed Heads Edition

GOLD COAST ACADEMY OF SPORTS the talent factory

+plus• Grand finals 2011 in pictures • We are football, we are United • One on one with coach Darren Tan • The kid born to lead • Understanding Futsal

FRONT PAGE PHOTO - Courtesy to ‘sport-in-digital’

FREECOPY

PG 2 LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2011 2793

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MAY

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Positive

Let’s make junior sport positive everyday ...it’s all about having fun!

• Offerpositivecommentstoplayers,coachesandotherspectators

• Applaudtheeffortsofmatchofficials,playersandcoaches

• Focusonachild’seffortsandselfesteemratherthanwhethertheywinorlose

• Rememberthatchildrenplaysportfortheirenjoyment

• Rememberthatchildrenlearnbestbyexample-teachthemwhatsportsmanshipmeans

• Respectthedecisionsofmatchofficialsandteachchildrentodothesame

InpartnershipwithForinformationaboutPositive or it’s pointless visittheDepartmentofCommunities’websitewww.sportrec.qld.gov.au

LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2011 PG 3

What you read in our magazine is a result of our dedication and love for the sport. Our passion is not to just talk about football, but to get out of the comfort zone and put together a product that will inspire you to want to know more about the football scene around you.

We encourage you to come along to the local games and maybe be part of the solution. To that end, if there is a story you would like us to publish, we would love to hear about it. Please bear in mind that we are a free publication and we rely on advertisements, so if you think that you can refer advertisers our way we will very much appreciate it.

Since our last publication, we have seen some amazing scenes of brilliance and to some level they induced much excitement in the hearts of the spectators.

Our journey began at Musgrave where we witnessed the Musgrave U12 boys play their semi-final against Robina City. On a rainy day, where both teams were evenly matched, we saw boys behaving like men, and parents crying like children, as the game went into penalties!

As for the seniors, opinion is divided as to which team should have won the minor premiership. With just a few games left to play, any of the top five teams could have become the champions. On the siren, the better organised team (or more fortunate, depending on which side of the fence you sit on) won.

In this edition, we take an in-depth look at a few aspects that shape the characters of great play-ers. The initial process took only 10 minutes and it was quite obvious that Luis Ferreira did fit the profile. What was impressive about him differs from most other kids - he is young, short and well mannered. If you are a parent, you probably think that your son is all that too,but in Luis’s case, he sees what his teammates don’t, guides them without raising his voice, and in return, he earns their respect.

We also speak to the high-profile coach Darren Tan, and scout for some quality in the local premier league.

Last but not least, we conduct an in-depth look at the training methodologies applied by the Gold Coast Sports Academy. A must-read for anyone interested in results through hard work (deep practice). Till next issue,

Lets All Play Football

EDITOR’S NOTE

PG 4 LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2011

CONTENTS

0306

03 | EDITOR’S NOTE What you read in our magazine is a result

of our dedication and love for the sport.

04 | TABLE OF CONTENTS

06 | NEWS Latest news from the world of football

10 | GOLD COAST ACADEMY OF SPORTS Behind the Royal Pines Resort in the heart of

the Gold Coast we uncovered a secret.

14 | GOLD COAST GIRLS ROCK THE USA The Gold Coast U17 girls’ team have taken their

exciting brand of football to the US

15 | CHRIS LUCAS The boy that dared to dream gets rewarded with

a Gold Coast United contract

16 | WE ARE FOOTBALL WE ARE UNITED Images of the Gold Coast United Game

18 | THE MUSGRAVE MUSTANGS The Musgrave Under 12 (U12) team was an

impressive team that gave everyone who watched them a taste of the beautiful game.

22 | GRAND FINALS JUNIORS Images of the Gold Coast Junior Finals

24 | THE KID BORN TO LEAD Even from the little that I have seen of him it is

obvious that that there is something special

28 | NAWAF AL HAZZA Twenty three year old Nawaf AL Hazza, was

born and raised in Saudi Arabia with a passion for the round ball game


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We welcome Letters to the editor and contributions for content regarding football. The deadline for submission is 7 days prior to publication date, for more information please contact us [email protected] Editorial content and contributions do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

Publisher: Oscar Carre [email protected] 0488406346Editorial & Advertising: [email protected] Design: Phil Coulson CSquared Design www.csquared.com.au Contributing writer: Roy SkillenContributing editor: Steve Cooper

30 | GRAND FINALS MEN Images of the Gold Coast Mens Finals

32 | LET’S ALL PLAY FUTSAL The development of Futebol de Salao can

be traced back to 1930 in Montevideo

34 | COACHING There is no doubt that football in Australia

is on the precipice of being a major force on the country’s sporting landscape.

37 | INJURIES Injuries a can be the scourge of any

football player.

38 | SHE KICKS!!! Images of the Gold Coast Girls Finals

40 | SKILLS As you get yourself prepared for the next

season, there is more than enough time to perfect your technique

42 | TACTICS The competition in this year’s English

Premier League is definitely the fiercest that I have seen since its inception in 1992


Victorian Jamara Maza was handed the Australian football coach of the year award for her dedication to delivering quality football programs at the Worawa Aboriginal College.

The former championship-winning captain of the state team Heidelberg has a number of coaching badges under her belt and even attended the FIFA Grassroots Program to help continue her development.

“It is quite fitting for Jamara to get recognition for her efforts on a national stage” said FFV CEO, Mark Rendell.

“We have known about her dedication, hard work and unique ability to connect with the Indigenous community for some time and it is testament to what she has achieved so far in such a short coaching career, that she has been awarded 2011 Female Coach of the Year.”

MCCLAREN QUITS FOREST

Former England boss Steve McClaren has quit his role as manager of Nottingham Forest after collecting just eight points from 10 league matches leaving the club in the bottom four of the English Championship.

Fans also turned on Chairman Nigel Doughty who has agreed to step down at the end of the current season after his decision to sack popular manager Billy Davies and appoint McClaren instead.

Forest fans will be hoping that a big name can come in and turn things around quickly with former players Roy Keane and Martic O’Neil the early frontrunners for the job.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR

NEWS


ARTETA

“I AM NOT AS GOOD AS FABREGAS”

New Arsenal signing Mikel Arteta has admitted that he will never be able to fill the gaping hole in the Ar-senal midfield left by former captain Cesc Fabregas..

“I am not here to replace Cesc and I would be wrong to try that,” said the Spaniard. “Cesc, was the best player at Arsenal and one of the top three in the entire Premier League. I have no aim to become that. My target is simply to try to reach my highest level as a player and to help the team. Cesc, was at Arsenal for seven years. I have been here for a few weeks. If I try to be equal to or better than him, I would be confusing myself.”

It is bad news for Arsenal fans who are struggling to comprehend their terrible start to the season and that they could very well be without Champions League Football next season.

GOOD SPORTS PROGRAM The good sports program was started to challenge football clubs to do away with selling alcohol from their canteen and think of more innovative ways to raise money. The aim is to reduce the risk of binge drinking, violence, drunk driving and the all-round liability these problems place on clubs.

The Avalon Football Club in NSW registered for the program in 2009 and was worried that the move could see a drop in club funds. But after buying a coffee machine and hiring specially-trained Baristas, the club soon found that the demand for good coffee was higher than it was for beer.

“There is a demand for good food and hot drinks from 8am when we open our doors and there’s less of a mess at our playing fields to clean up coffee cups rather than beer cans,” said a club spokesman.


FLASH NEWS

2012 JUNIOR SIGN ON WILL BE SATURDAY 4th & SUNDAY 5th of FEBRUARY

FFA will introduce My Football Club system on the Gold Coast for the 2012 season.

An exciting development for the 2012 season is the introduction of the online self registration for players (no more paper forms, no more waiting in queues). This will enable parents and players to save time by having all the registration process completed online.

The FFA conducted an information session in early October with two training session scheduled for 6 December for the southern clubs at Tugun Soccer Club (6pm QLD time), and 7 December for the northern clubs at Southport Soccer Club at 6pm. For more information go to www.myfootballclub.com.au

NEW COACHING TEAM FOR PACIFIC PINESPacific Pines has appointed Shaun Mcllwaine as its new head coach and (GCU) Joel Porter as assistant coach for their first division and reserve teams for 2012. Introduction night will be on 1 December at 7pm. Sausage sizzle and refreshments provided. All senior players interested are welcome. Any queries contact Shaun: 0467 534 019 or Mark: 0413 120 035.

BROADBEACH SOCCER CLUB TRAININGPre-season training will take place on Monday nights at 6pm. All new players welcome. For more information please contact Andrew on 0429947437.


IMAGE OF THE MONTH




Behind the Royal Pines Resort in the heart of the Gold Coast we uncovered a secret. A secret that was not that much of secret after all because the program had been running for quite some time. When we arrived at the training ground we were surprised by the simplic-ity of the set-up. A few parents and managers were watching what was taking place; drills that were of a high-class and professional standard.

A loud and sharp voice was accompanied by dazzling moves and ball touches followed by name calling and sharp sprints. The training session was being conducted with one focus in mind; improvement through repetition (deep practice). The most surprising element of all was that it was completely free; government-funded of course, but free for the young boys and girls who were being injected with serious doses of advance-skills that will undoubtedly make them stand out in their own clubs in the future.

According to some of the Magic United Youth team players that were there, attending the train-ing sessions gave them skills and confidence that they have taken back to their team (Magic United Youth team). No wonder their team won the season with an unbelievable run where they scored 116 goals against 15, with only one loss, and on the way beating one of the teams 18-0.

THE TALENT FACTORY

GOLD COAST ACADEMY OF SPORTS


As football coaching methods move away from the more physical, fitness-based training sessions and begin concentrating on technique; where giving each player the maximum number of touches is an essential part of the regime, some club coaches have found it hard - with the minimal time at their disposal - to find a balance between keeping their players in shape and technically sound.

The Gold Coast Academy of Sport’s Football program, which commenced in 2010 and is already achieving great results, was designed to assist players aged 15 and over who wished to take part in extra training away from their club and increase their technical skills as they look to embark on a career within the world game.

The system that they use has been brought in from Sweden and is based around the theory of “train as many as you can for as long as you can”. As a result, they do not hold any trials and do not limit the number of participants. This may seem a little strange for many of us old folks but it is now thought that a trials system, where kids are told at an early age that they are not good enough, can actually inhibit late bloomers and reduce the chances of polishing a rough diamond in to a future world star. This was a key point in the 2009 Crawford report about community sports in Australia and how to develop our future sporting heros.

As we have already mentioned, football training sessions are now designed to give the participants the maximum number of touches of the football through different warm-up exercises and drills. The hope is that this will create players that are comfortable with the ball in any situation and leave them to be more tactically aware of what is going on around them. Early research is already showing that players at the GCAS will touch the ball every two seconds as opposed to every 10 seconds with their club side. Many children are even reporting that they get more touches in a GCAS warm-up, which can reach from anywhere up to 1,000 touches, than in a whole session with their club. Touches to the ball in football training sessions are seen as vital in the development of football players (Brown, Wisner, & Kontos, 2000: Houllier, 2005). Gerard Houllier, France and Liverpool football manager, stated that players need at least 1,000 touches of the ball per training session.

The theory has been spreading around Australia for a number of years and increasing the number of touches that each player receives has become an integral part of the Football Federation Australia’s national curriculum. Courses are now available for local coaches to see the theory in action and learn new drills and methods that will increase the participation of their players.

“PRACTICE DOES NOT MAKE PERFECT. PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.” Vince Lombardi


But rather than leaving the onus on clubs, the GCAS wants to be a complementary extra in player development, leaving clubs to concentrate on the more physical and tactical sides of the game while they push the more technical aspects.

It is a system that is working wonders within the Gold Coast footballing community with many players from the GCAS now being invited to the Queensland Academy of Sport, Gold Coast Utd youth trials and to the Watford-Harefield Youth Academy in England; while others have found spots in leading Brisbane Premier League squads and the Queensland School Boys squad. The entire GCSA football program has also been invited to New Zealand to play matches against the Asia-Pacific Football Academy.

With these successes and those reported by GCAS, it is obvious grassroots football in this country is finally on the right track. But it will all come to nothing if we don’t continue invest in the right systems and facilities all across the country and give our youngsters the best opportunities to reach their full potential.


The Gold Coast U17 girls’ team has taken its exciting brand of football to the USA and literally destroyed all before them wracking wins as big as 10-0 and gaining a number of admirers along the way.

“We really wanted this match,” said Birmingham Utd coach Anousha Shifteh after succumbing to a 6-0 defeat at the hands of the Aussies. “This type of experience is invaluable. The exposure to other styles of play and the understanding of dif-ferent game strategies that playing against clubs from other parts of the world brings is very impor-tant for young, up-and-coming players. Everyone learned a lot today and that’s why we wanted to play a skilled team like Gold Coast.”

It has been an amazing experience for our girls who were shocked by the level of respect that female soccer players receive over in the States.

“This is my first time in the US and I think it’s really cool the way girl players around here are treated and the great facilities they get to play in like we did today,” said Gold Coast co-captain Alicia Van Laarhoven. “The boys in our country are taken more seriously than us, but here it seems more equal. That’s pretty awesome.”

GOLD COAST GIRLS ROCK THE USA

NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.SPORTSPICS.COM.AU : Gold Coast U16 Gold Girls 2011, Top row: Gary French (coach),

Sophie Webster, Bronte Rose, Tayler Stevens (C), Alicia Van Laarhoven (C), Erin McNamara and Harriet Withers. Bottom row - Peta

Kimber, Tess Keeley, Lauren Brown, Avalon Doyle, Beth Howells, Jamie Stanton and Chelsea Harper


The Boy Who Dared To Dream Is Rewarded

With A Gold Coast United Contract

CHRIS LUCASTHERE IS NO SECRET TO IT, BUT HARD WORK AND APPRECIATE THE GRIND

Chris Lucas

PHOTO - Courtesy to ‘sport-in-digital’


WE ARE FOOTBALL


WE ARE UNITED

PHOTOS - Refugee Phan Inc



The Musgrave Under 12 (U12) team was an impressive team that gave everyone who watched them a taste of the beautiful game. Last month, the team was selected to participate in the first ever Volkswagen Junior Masters Australia tournament for U12 teams in Sydney.

This talented team, under the guidance of their coach Lee Hosier (a highly-regarded past player in the Gold Coast Premier League), only formed this year and has already achieved success in the U12 Division 1 local Gold Coast competition.

After 18 rounds, the team was undefeated and only drew one game. It scored 96 goals and conceded 9; winning the U12 Division 1 competition an impressive 13 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Robina City. Robina had managed to stop their unbeaten run later, in the semifinals, after a dramatic penalty shootout. They had played a total of 39 games and remain undefeated throughout the regular season.

The team consists of all kinds of players; journeyman, playmakers and leaders. The squad resembled a national team, meaning that each one of them was like the best available player in their country.

The team was well structured, with a visible hierarchy that was displayed in a commendable way, especially when they tasted their first defeat. The captain pulled the team together and encouraged them to look forward to the next game and, in a respectable way, they all formed an honorable line to congratulate their rivals that they had beaten twice during the regular season.

Their encounter with Robina City was their El Classico; on a rainy morning that was characterised by devoted fans and parents cheering from as far as the club’s canteen 100 metres away. Our attempt to start a conversation about the game was quickly discouraged.

The most interesting part wasn’t the drama, the sparkle, the close calls or saved penalties, but instead, the way they understood each other’s limitations and capabilities.

It was also interesting that the parents knew nothing about losing. One would guess that after a year without tasting defeat, a few tears were allowed. Winning is habit, but unfortunately, so is losing). Fortunately the parents were accustomed to the first habit.

MUSGRAVE UNDER 12

THE MUSGRAVE MUSTANGS


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THE MUSGRAVE MUSTANGS

Whether properly coached to read the game and communicate with each other in that way, it doesn’t really matter. We all saw earlier this year when Rooney forgot to properly follow Alex Ferguson’s tactical instructions during a Champion’s League game between Manchester United and Barcelona. Man United paid the price, but this is just one example of the inability for hungry creative players to avoid ball-watching, as we all know tactical discipline education can take quite some time to teach. When under threat, often the captain steps in, usually for a man marking with no smile for the opponent, which for some reason appears to give the rest of the team some sense of confidence and therefore encourages them to attack, which they often do as a group.

The members of the team were Brent Arcuri, Jordan Balo, Chris Barker, Kyle Evans, Jake Fisher, Jackson Hosier, Malik Kelada, Matthew McGuffie, Callum Roberts, Bailey Rodrigues, Joe Shennan, Adam Skinner, Braedon Steel, Jay Steel and Jye Thomson.

After participating in the national Volkswagen Junior Masters tournament in Sydney, great lessons were learnt by the kids and it was a wonderful exposure to the taste of where football can take them.

It is important to also mention that this could only be achieved through the sacrifice of parents, sponsors and a formidable coaching and management team. The team consisted of Coach Lee Hosier, Assistant Coaches Robert Steel and Robert Arcuri and Manager Jason Evans.



GRANDFINALS Winning is not everything

Runaway Bay playmaker

The 50/50 effect

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JUNIORS

Do you hear me kids, cover

Luis Ferreira in action

Some direction please

Touch with class

The sinking feeling

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THE KID BORN TO LEADPG 24 LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL© 2011


When Pep Guardiola arrived at Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy he instantly created a buzz about the world-famous Nou Camp, which doesn’t often happen.

It wasn’t because he could take the ball past 10 players like a Maradona or that

he had the goal-scoring instincts of a Romario, it was his leadership skills and

general elegance on the field that had many of his coaches drooling. But despite

his obvious talents there were still those that thought he lacked the physical

attributes to make it at the highest level.

“He saw what nobody else saw, he anticipated everything that was going to

happen,” remembers Carlos Naval one of Barcelona’s most famous officials. “But

people said, ‘That kind of player doesn’t exist.’ He was a kid who was small and

not tall at all, but he played like the gods.” It has been said that players with such

vision only come along once in a generation and if this is the case, it may just be

that the next one will come from the shores of Australia.

For those of you who are worried about the impending retirement of Harry

Kewell and Brett Emerton from the Socceroos and that say the Australian youth

system and national coaching curriculum isn’t working, I bring you a mature and

composed 10 year old who has already proven that he has what it takes to go on

and dominate the world of football. A kid that many are already calling the future

Socceroo’s captain because of his amazing tactical awareness and composure.

I bring you, Luis Ferreira. Luis was born on 25 January 2001 and at just 10 is

already showing similar skills equal to those that Pep Guardiola was praised for at

Barcelona at age 13. Demetri Giannopoulos, who is Luis’ coach from youth club

Earlwood Wanderers, has christened him “The Little General” because he isn’t

scared to order teammates around and possesses a pin-point passing game that

many professionals can only dream about.

With a number of titles and accolades to his name, Ferreira has already graced

the cover of Fustal magazine and attended some of the country’s top footballing

academies such as the Australian Elite Soccer Football Academy, the Nick Rizzo

International Football Academy and the FDA AC Milan Academy with the latter

calling him “a talented and dedicated young footballer with amazing ability

and maturity beyond his years.” Football New South Wales and its project 22

campaign, which was developed to help develop players good enough to win the

2022 World Cup, have also pin-pointed Luis as ‘one to watch’, regarding him as a

strong leader both on and off the pitch.

Even from the little that I have seen of him, it is obvious that that there is

something special about the way he moves around the pitch. There is a calm

determination to his game that serves him well under pressure and the example

he sets quickly spreads throughout the rest of his team. It is immediately obvious

that he demands the respect of his peers as they all listen to what he has to say

and quickly put it into action.

I know it is hard to pick kids as young as 10 to be future world stars and captains

of their country, but if Luis Ferreira can keep showing a determination and

willingness to learn and improve his game, then there is no reason that he can’t

be the one leading the Socceroos to the 2022 World Cup and beyond.


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NAWAF AL HAZZASNIPER WITH BROKEN TRIGGERThere is no doubt that Harry Kewell’s arrival in the A-League is a massive boost for the game in this country. We are not discussing the on-field impact yet, a boost that will surely attract better quality overseas players along with increased investment and larger crowds. But while these are all massive positives for an organisation that has struggled to establish itself over the past couple of years, I hope that the big bosses in Football Australia don’t completely forget about what is already a scarcely-used commodity in this country, the state leagues.



Twenty-three-year-old Nawaf AL Hazza was born and raised in Saudi Arabia with a passion for the round ball game and an admiration for Arsenal forward Thierry Henry. The youngster was blessed with speed skills and an eye for the goal that soon saw him picked up by local club Al-Hilal, that is considered by many people to be the Manchester Utd of Asia with an amazing 36 national championships to its name since it was founded in 1957. After five years with the Saudi giants, Nawaf jumped at the chance to move to Australia to study a Business and Marketing degree and have a crack at making it on the football fields in the newly-formed A-League.

But his first foray into the game as a 19 year old with Bond University and then Nerang, was probably less than successful as he struggled to adapt to the physicality of Australian football.

“I found it a bit hard as the players were playing rough and did not have enough speed and that is what I am good at, however their tactics are really good and the teams in general are very well organised.”

But with hard work and a natural ability to read the game that simply can’t be taught, Nawaf has gone on to become one the most feared players on the Gold Coast scoring 14 goals in 13 appearances for his current club Merrimac FC, while receiving both the Best Player and Golden Boot awards at last

year’s Queensland Winter Futsal tournament.

With his confidence building, Nawaf now believes that the time is right to try his luck at the top of Australian football. With his immense pace and natural goal-scoring ability, there is no doubt that A-League clubs should be taking a closer look at this prestigious talent.

The demise of Gold Coast Utd from its firm promise to go unbeaten in its maiden season has been a dramatic one. With attendances averaging little over 3,000 and the big name stars that were once meant to conquer the A-League now all but gone, it is time for the club to re-evaluate their priorities and start to rebuild from the ground up. The club literally has nothing to lose by plucking out the best talent from the country’s state leagues, giving them their chance at glory and asking the fans to get behind a youthful team that will have time to grow and improve.

Nawaf would be the perfect start for such a program as there is no doubt they will now lack any real goal threat after the defection of Shane Smeltz to Perth Glory. Nawaf will bring with him the real pace and a natural goal-scoring ability as well a big desire to prove himself at a higher level. As Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said, “If in doubt go with the enthusiasm of youth,”. It is a motto that would serve the Gold Cost well at the moment. Have your say - [email protected]

Here at “Let’s All Play Football” magazine we intend to look at this untapped resource and profile some of the players that until now have been overlooked by the A-League system in the hope that we can uncover some of the future stars of the game.


GRANDFINALS Broadbeach premier reserves

Palm Beach supporter

Griffith University 12th man

Griffith University midfielder

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MEN

WE AREWARRIORS

Southport captain claims victory

Injury time

After all, it wasn’t the ‘year of the Redbacks’

There’s always next year for the knights

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The development of Futebol de Salão can be traced back to 1930 in Montevideo, Uruguay, the same year the inaugural World Cup was held in the country.

The credit for early forms of the game is given to Juan Carlos Ceriani who wanted a version of football to be played in YMCA’s indoor gymnasi-ums. Futebol de Salão literally translates from Por-tuguese as “hall football” or “room football”. Credit is also given to a similar form of football being born on the basketball and hand ball courts of Sao Paulo, Brazil. These forms of football were quickly adopted by the working class in the poor regions of South America, as association football was almost exclusively for the upper classes. The first common rules of Futebol de Salão were published in Brazil (São Paulo) in 1936.

“This, Futebol de Salão, is how I really got started. It is love. The thing I enjoyed the most.” – Ronaldo FIFA World Player of the Year 1996, 1997 and 2002

“I developed my skills playing Futebol de Salão, in my home town of Bauru.” - Pelé

A surprising fact about Brazilian football is that few children ever play it - grass is difficult to maintain in a tropical country and unplanned urban develop-ment means cities have little space for full-sized pitches.

At local clubs, kids grow up playing ‘futebol de salão’, which is football played on a basketball court with a small, non-bouncy ball.

Robinho says that his agility comes from Futebol de Salão. It’s much faster than regular football, and with less space to move in, children are forced to develop close-body ball skills like dribbling.

According to Juninho, he only played Futebol de Salão as a youngster, and he believes that it is the best way to improve football skills, that’s why he only started playing proper football at the age of 13.

Futebol de Salão also launched great players like Zico and Rivelino.

In Brazil, most kids play Futebol de Salão, which is similar to five-a-side. It is played on a hard surface and the ball is a lot smaller and weighted with foam so it doesn’t bounce. This makes the ball harder to play with at first - but it’s great practice for when you move to full-size football.

On a small pitch, you need to have good control and move the ball around quickly. There isn’t much space so you need to be skilful.

LET’S ALL PLAY FUTSAL


That is why Brazil always produces players with great skill. The amount of space in 11-a-side is not good for young kids. You spend too much time running around without the ball. In Futebol de Salão you are always involved. It’s great to play 11-a-side when you’re older - but it’s better if you play on a small pitch first. You need to have good control to play on them, otherwise you will lose the ball. This is another reason Brazilian players have good technique.

Sometimes making things harder for yourself im-proves your game in the long-run. But remember that football isn’t just about skill, it’s also about having the right attitude. The most important skill you can learn is discipline. “When I was young I played Futebol de Salao, it was my teacher.” – Ronaldinho

Nike’s recent Joga TV commercials featured a 10-year-old Ronaldinho playing the game of Futebol de Salão in Brazil. The youngster can be seen destroying defences with his trademark dribbling skills and toothy grin. Ronaldinho’s

deftness in tight spaces was developed during his years playing Futebol de Salão, the precursor of the modern, Fifa-endorsed Futebol de Salão. The earlier game, invented in South America in the 1930s, uses a smaller, heavier and much less-bouncy ball. From the age of 11, Ronaldinho spent two hours a night mastering its arts, in addition to four hours of conventional training with Gremio.

In summary, Futebol de Salão and Futsal are the same thing, Futsal is just a newer version. FIFA took on the name Futsal as it provides a better marketing tool to develop their skills.

It might be what local football clubs should do – have all kids at the end of their football season register with a Futsal program to continue their development in a different form. All around Aus-tralia there are Futsal arenas near you, or just go to www. goldcoastcityfutsalassociation.com.au/

Remember you can have your say by sending us you thoughts to [email protected]

QUEENSLAND FUTSAL LEAGUEThe Queensland futsal league is now underway and after two Rounds, Northern New South Wales, along with Gold Coast and South Brisbane, are sharing the lead with 6 points. Brisbane and Eastern Suburbs have three points while North Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Northern Gold Coast have failed to register any points. For more information go to www.qfl.net.au

OTHER TOURNAMENTS COMING UP • JOHNNY WARREN CUP 10/12/11• CRAIG FOSTER CHALLENGE 21-22/01/12


There is no doubt that football in Australia is on the precipice of being a major force on the country’s sporting landscape. Despite a tough few years for the national A-League, there is still a solid following of the game and a huge amount of youngsters that are keen to emulate their heroes in the Socceroos, English Premier League and the other top leagues around Europe. It is now up to us to ensure that this basic love of the game is nurtured into a passion that produces some of the world’s biggest stars.

Thankfully the football authorities in Australia have introduced a national curriculum that will see all coaches and players right from grassroots level taught the skills and theories behind a fast-flowing, attacking style of football that will hopefully see us produce players

and teams that can compete on the world stage. One of the people that is in charge of implementing this system is Darren Tan, a man who has worked with the likes of Manchester Utd and who is now part of Football Federation Victoria and its national community coaching education program. We had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Darren about his new role, his influences and what his hopes are for the future of Australian football.

Roy Skillen (RS) - I have had the privilege of taking part in a couple of your coaching sessions and loved your philosophy of free-flowing football. Who has had the greatest influence on your footballing beliefs? And do you think it is possible to produce an Australian team that plays in such away?

Darren Tan (DT) As a young boy growing up in Singapore, the “football” environment that I was exposed to always has been the attacking style of play. We only played on basketball courts as there was not enough full-size pitches, no “organised” football where we could join a club or can afford to join a football academy.

COACHING


In my day, you had to be “good enough” to join an academy. Therefore, five-a-side was always about attacking and who could score more goals than the opposition. There were no coaches, parents or anyone with that role to guide us and help us. We were just playing, mimicking each other and what we saw on TV the moves, skills and things they did on the weekend and they who could show it the best on the day.

The greatest influence on my footballing beliefs in playing football were players that I had looked up to such as local Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad and my all-time hero Bryan Robson. As time grew, I started to watch teams such as Real Madrid and then more towards the coaching side things I admire Sir Alex, Jose Mourinho and most recently, Pep Guardiola from Barcelona. I try and adapt their style of play with the teams that I coach.

In terms of coaches, I would have to say I was fortunate to be surrounded by fantastic men who over time have shaped the way that I coach now. Coaches in Singapore such as Clement Teo (my first ever coach), Kadir Yahya (former Singapore national player and Youth Olympic Coach) and most recently, Michael McBride, a brilliant local coach who I always find time to explore, discuss and debate the attacking, possession type teams of current time.

I definitely think that it is possible for an Australian team to play this type of attacking, possession style because this style can be integrated into our current strengths of what we are as a nation. Our culture of competitiveness together with the harnessing of good technique with good decision-making process will give us this style of play. This however, needs time to cultivate and will not turn overnight so we are in fact, trying to cement a style of play that in 20 years time can be our signature and put our mark on the world stage.

RS - I watched Australia’s U20s and their disappointing 5-1 defeat against Spain. Do you think that the implementation of the 4-3-3 formation right throughout youth football is going to produce players that are unable to adapt their style if things are going against them?

DT - The 1-4-3-3 is a fantastic formation that is actually very adaptable and flexible depending on how the opposition sets up but in my personal

opinion, I think we hit it right on the nail when we say “style”. The style our football, our way of playing, is not just made up of numbers but years and years of trying to make the whole country play a certain way. Take for example, AFL. When I came here in 2004, I watched my first AFL game on TV and I saw both teams just kicking it forwards and backwards, both teams jumping on each other’s backs and catching the ball. Now that style of play was with AFL for about 100 years. Fortunately, I saw another game and this involved Sydney Swans who then were going against the flow of AFL tradition and started to keep possession of the ball. I was very fascinated not only by that but the change in the style of play from long kicking into the 50 yard but keeping possession and kicking it forward when the pass was on. If AFL can change their style after years of playing just one way, I don’t see why our national game, teams and local clubs can’t change or adapt to a certain style of football. Fortunately we now have our National Curriculum and that is a guide as to how we would like to see representative, Institute of Sport and National teams play.

RS - When I was a kid, training sessions usually consisted of running laps, a bit of circuit training and some two-touch five-a-side. Why do you believe that youth coaches should move away from such fitness-based training sessions?

DT - If you looked at all the best countries that play football (i.e. Brazil, Spain, Argentina), you will see the kids just playing football in the streets, parks, beaches or just anywhere that there resembles a pitch and has goals. All they do is play football. Nothing else. Now try that for eight hours a day for a week, then for four weeks and then four months. The time spent on playing football alone will give them the technical ability, decision-making processes, cardiovascular increase and most of all, fun. Youth coaches do fitness-based training because they think the players are not fit enough. I understand that based on research, children nowadays are not physically active therefore the focus on fitness training. My only recommendation is that can we combine fitness training that should be fun with football training. Fitness training can be done in many forms but research shows that fitness training combined with football training is the best for football (Raymond Verheijen).


RS - One of the great things that I learnt while working with you was what you consider to be basic skills. It is because of this that I have developed my “Let’s all play like Messi” theory. What exactly are these basic skills and why is it important to teach them to kids as early as possible?

DT - Basic skills is a combination of performing football skills at a young age with balance and co-ordination. Why I say a combination is because some children are well-balanced but throw a ball to them, they might struggle at first but become better because of their natural balance. Some other children need ball-mastery skills to become balanced and co-ordinated. The key component is that children can be a master of the ball. Are they able to control the ball with both feet? Are they able to juggle with both feet? Are they able to use their feet to manipulate the ball and change direction, perform skills on the ball to go past opponents? These skills should be harnessed from as young as possible so that it becomes second nature to them once they get older. Coaches on courses tell me that their players can’t do it because it is too hard. I say that if you spend significant time with them on practicing the skill, the kids will be able to do it. Coaches must have that patience to see it through.

RS - You also stressed the importance of making sure that youngsters get as many touches of the football as possible, but there is only so much time that coaches get with them each week. So what can parents do to ensure their kids are continuously learning the game in the right way?

DT - Coaches and parents play a big part in today’s children physical and academic wellbeing. Just recently, a parent said to me that she wished car companies had frequent flyer miles as the amount of travelling that she did, she would have obtained some free flights. In this case, free car rides? Anyway, coaches can tailor their sessions (depending on age of children) to maximise football participation instead of running around the oval or doing push-ups and sit-ups when that is not essential. Maximising football participation could be simply playing football for the whole training session, creating different situations of football (i.e. 3v2, 4v2) for the players to solve.

If players are playing, passing, controlling, shooting the ball for the whole session (i.e. 200 touches of the ball per player in whole session), the players will get better at playing football. Parents can help by organising games with other children in their neighbourhood without giving the children instructions in how to play but simply supervise them to make sure that they are safe. Some families have their own tennis courts in their compound.

Can they use that for football for all the neighbours to play in? The children, if left alone, will start to work out their own rules of the game thus creating an effective communicative environment that the children can strive in. The future of Australian football is definitely looking a whole lot brighter.

COACHING


Michael OwenMichael Owen burst onto the world scene as an 18 year old with a sublime goal in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina where he showed all of the skill, speed and finishing ability that would soon make him one of the most feared strikers in the English Premier League. But a hamstring injury suffered while playing for his club side Liverpool against Leeds United triggered a series of similar injuries that would hamper his career for the next 10 years. Spells in the doctor’s office soon became a regular thing for the little striker who was forced to play for both club and country despite carrying niggles that should have been rested and dealt with properly. Never was this more obvious than in the 2006 World Cup in Germany when Owen was forced to head home from the tournament after more problems with his hamstring. The player later admitted that he should never have been there in the first place. Despite his string of bad luck, he has still managed to bag 40 goals in 89 international appearances; but you can’t help wonder how high that figure would have been had he stayed injury-free.

Rob JonesRob Jones is often called “The Best Player That Liverpool Never Had” after a string of injuries forced him to retire from the game in 1999 aged just 27. Jones was brought to the club by Graeme Souness, and many people feel to this day that it was the best bit of business the Scotsman ever managed during his dreadful stint in charge at Anfield. Jones was spotted playing for Crewe Alexandra and made his debut for the Reds against Manchester United and a certain Ryan Giggs. Giggs would later say

that Jones was the best defender that he had ever played against. But just as his career started to take off, a serious case of shin splints ruled him out of England’s Euro 1992 campaign. His shins would become a problem that would continue to plague him throughout his career; although it was his dodgy knees that finally brought his football life to an end.

Paul LakePaul Lake was a 20-year-old Manchester City player when Sir Alex Ferguson called him “The best youth prospect he had ever seen”, and it looked as though Lake would soon take this potential to the world stage when he was picked by Sir Bobby Robson as a surprise inclusion in the 1990 World Cup squad that travelled to Italy. But in the following season, a clash with Tony Cascarino ruptured the cruciate ligament in his knee and forced him to take two years off from the game. On his return in 1993, the then Manchester City boss Peter Reid said, “It is like have a new 3 million GBP signing.” But in just his second comeback match, the ligament snapped and the career of Paul Lake was brought to an end. He did try and get back but after 14 operations and years of physiotherapy, Lake finally called it quits in 1996. The former City player is now a physio himself as well as a presenter for ‘Blue Tuesday’—a Manchester City-based radio show. He has also written an autobiography called I’m Not Really Here that received rave reviews; many people calling it the best football book ever written.

INJURIESBy Roy Skillen

Injuries a can be the scourge of any football player. They can cut you down in your prime or leave you sitting on the sideline for so long that people forget you ever existed. Here are a few players who have had their careers cut short or stalled to the point where fans that once adored them have forgotten what all the hype was about in the first place.


SHE KICKS Some more pep talk

Palm beach coach

The chase

Robina coach

1

1

2

2

3

4

3

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SHE KICKS


Passing• Point the toes of the foot you are standing on

toward your target• Keep the knees of both legs slightly bent• Keep the ankle of your kicking leg locked so

that your kicking foot is steady• Lean slightly forward to keep the path of the

ball level• Keep your eye on the ball

Receiving • Get your body in line with the path of the ball• Keep the knees of both legs slightly bent• Relax the body part receiving the ball on

contact with the ball• Breathe out• Keep your eye on the ball

Heading• Get yourself in line with the flight of the ball• Keep the knees of both legs slightly bent• Strike the ball with the forehead at the hairline• Keep your mouth shut with your tongue and

cheeks out from between your teeth• Keep your eye on the ball

Shooting

• Approach the ball at a slight diagonal angle• Point the toes of the foot you are standing on

toward your target• Lean over the ball• Point the toes of your kicking foot down and

curl them back inside of your shoe to make a firmer striking surface of your foot (kind of like making a fist)

• Keep your eye on the ball

SKILLSAs you get yourself prepared for the next season, there is more than enough time to perfect your technique; here are some basic tips to help you REMEMBER, NO ONE IS EVER TOO GOOD!

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Keeper throws• Hold the ball comfortably in your hand and

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Throw-in• Stand with your hips facing where you want the

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As a Liverpool fan, I have been truly excited by the revolution that has taken place at Anfield. Whether it is down to the tactical genius of King Kenny Dalglish, or the experience of new coach Steve Clark, I am not sure, but the football that is now be-ing played by the red men is fast, free-flowing and attacking. When I recently watched another Luis Suarez-inspired performance rip apart a strong Bolton Wanders team 3-1 to take their place at the top of the pile, I felt that the first league title in 20 years was just a sniff away.

But the feeling of optimism that had gripped me was soon ripped from my hands as defending champions Manchester United smashed 8 past Arsenal and the one-billion-GBP ensemble of Manchester City hit 5 past Tottenham.

Last season, it seemed that the way Barcelona strolled around the pitch, interchanging positions and pulling teams apart was unmatchable. But the very flexible formation 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formation that has been favoured by Pep Guardiola’s men has now been adopted in the Premier League, and so far with great success.

The basis of this style of play is to have one main focal point up front such as Wayne Rooney or Sergio Aguero; a solid back four and a defensive midfielder like Lucas Leiva at Liverpool or Gareth Barry of Manchester City. Around this is an array of

attack-minded players who can switch positions at the drop of a hat and leave the opposition second guessing exactly what their role is in the game.

Luis Suarez has obviously been the pick of the bunch but the way Ashley Young at United and Stuart Downing at Liverpool have taken on their new roles with their new clubs has been particularly impressive to watch.

The great thing about playing this way is its flex-ibility. As I mentioned before, you can easily set out with a very attacking 4-3-3 look. But if the chips are down, this can just as easily slip back into a 4-5-1, which makes it very hard for sides to break you down. When Liverpool are truly in full flight, it has even ended up with a look of 3-4-3 which under former boss Roy Hodgson would have been the equivalent of taking the Lord’s name in vain before spitting at the feet of Father Christmas.

All in all, the opening two weeks of the Premier League have left me drooling for more, and if Liverpool don’t end up clinching their 19th League title, I really don’t care, as long as the entertain-ment keeps coming.

Can you be our Gold Coast United tactical analyst, not a ball watcher but a person who sees what the general public don’t see. If that’s you please let us know [email protected]

TACTICSBy Roy Skillen

The competition in this year’s English Premier League is definitely the fiercest that I have seen since its inception in 1992. Usually there are one or two teams that seem light-years ahead of the rest, but this time round, there are at least four that are already playing football that has simply blown my mind.


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LAPF Magazine summer edition