Soccer 1:1

Parents and Friends,

There were some thrilling games and fantastic goals in the round of 16.

And the tournament looks wide open although five-time winners Brazil are still favorites.

Some of the big talking points were…

• French forward Kylian Mbappe (19 years) became the youngest player to score two goals in a World Cup match since Pele against Sweden in the 1958 final.
• Belgium fought back from two goals down to beat Japan 3-2 and became the first side to do so since West Germany knocked England out in 1970.
• England won their first ever World Cup penalty shootout having been beaten at the 1990, 1998 and 2006 tournaments on penalties and the European Championships in 1996, 2004 and 2012.
• Messi and Ronaldo’s miserable World Cup knockout record continued as they exited having not scored in four tournaments each.
• Spain legend Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from international duty after the loss to Russia.
• Spain’s defeat meant they have lost on all nine...

Parents and Friends,

FIFA launched their “Living Football” campaign for Russia 2018 and it certainly feels like that after 48 games in two weeks!

I hope everyone has had a chance to catch at least some games of what has been an outstanding World Cup so far.

It’s been the perfect tournament to observe the intensity, passion, excitement and drama that goes hand in hand with international soccer.

And of course, it’s special when it’s only every four years!

The first round finished on Thursday and 122 goals were scored with only one match finishing 0-0.

Mexico, Japan, four South American teams and ten European progressed but for the first time since 1982 no African team did.

That was a surprise because many pundits backed Senegal to do well.

Ultimately, they were unlucky as fair play criteria was used to determine the standings when they finished level on points with Japan.   

The big story so far though has been reigning champions Germany...

Parents and Friends,

I have a testimonial to share with you today from a parent whose son has been in our training program for three years…

Dear Soccer Families,

Our son learned more from Coach Patrick McPhillips in a few months of training than he had learned in years of playing for a team. 

We’ve been with Patrick for three years now.

And he has completely changed the way my son – and our family – thinks about soccer. 

Our son was always enthusiastic about the game but Patrick gave focus and direction to his training and showed him what was possible with hard work. 

Patrick's dedication to the game and to kids shines through, both in the way he conducts himself during training sessions and in the other features of his program.

That includes written and verbal game evaluations for players and weekly homework (e.g., written analysis of video clips from games in top professional leagues) that he carefully reviews with his students and...

Parents and Friends,

The 2018 Men’s World Cup will start this week so get ready for a crazy month of soccer!

32 nations, will contest 64 games in twelve venues across Russia to become world champions.

2014 hosts Brazil and current champions Germany are favorites while powerhouses Spain, France, Portugal, England and Argentina are also in the running.  

The World Cup is an event of epic proportions and it’s absolutely guaranteed that there will be drama, excitement and fantastic goals and games. 

So if you invest some time and get the kids in front of the television too they’ll surely love it!

But if you’re still not convinced, here are my top 5 reasons to watch the tournament…

The USA is hosting 2026!

The top reason to watch this year’s tournament is we’ll be hosts in eight years.

FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, have announced today that the United (Canada–Mexico–USA) bid to host the 2026 Men’s World...

Parents and Friends,

When traveling abroad you’ll see kids playing pickup soccer games everywhere and anywhere.

Pickup is essentially street soccer and all the youngsters need is a ball, some space and they’ll use their school bags, jackets etc. for goals.

Jumpers for goalposts!

It’s fantastic because they’re getting lots of touches and being creative in an environment where they’re free to express themselves.

That kids elsewhere are getting more touches on the ball outside of practice is something that’s not really acknowledged in U.S. soccer.

But it’s certainly one of the challenges!

That’s why I always encourage kids to TRAIN ON THEIR OWN and show them exercises such as passing off a wall.

Some players call this wall ball and these are my top 7 exercises for a great workout:

• Receive with the inside of the foot, pass with the inside of the foot.
• Receive with the outside of the foot, pass with the inside of the foot.
• Receive with the...

Parents and Friends,

I have a testimonial to share with you today from a parent whose daughter just went through the program…

Dear Soccer Families,

About a year and a half ago our then 14-year-old daughter Bethany tried out for a competitive club team and was not chosen. Prior to this, she played AYSO recreational soccer since she was five.

We knew she was just a mediocre player, but she loved playing. We decided we would try and find her a personal coach. So, our search led us to Coach Patrick McPhillips. We asked Coach Patrick to help us get Bethany playing at a higher level. He told us frankly that he could do it, but it would take more than just a few sessions.

For the last year, she has been training with Coach Patrick for one hour. Not only did he improve her physical skills, but he also improved her knowledge and mentality by giving her weekly homework.

I am thrilled to report that Bethany recently tried out for Burlingame Soccer Club and was offered a spot on their...

Parents and Friends,

Receiving the ball in the air is a key technique to master especially with the federation prohibiting heading for U-11 kids and below.

Yet over the last few weeks I’ve observed quite a few youth games and players were really struggling when the ball was not on the ground.

Kids were shying away from these situations too and when you see that they probably haven’t been taught the mechanics of how to cushion the ball to feet.

Even if they have they may not have put in enough practice time and without sufficient repetitions players just aren’t properly prepared.

Of course, good soccer is about keeping the ball on the deck and completing passes.

But at the same time kids must work on scenarios where the ball is bouncing and off the ground.

If not then when there’s a long pass, clearance etc. they won’t be equipped to deal with it.

Here are my top FIVE tips for receiving in the air…

1) Move into the line of flight of the ball.
2)...

Parents and Friends,

What is shielding in soccer?

It’s keeping possession of the ball away from a defender, a technique that doesn't receive much attention in the youth game.

But of course, there are many situations where a player has few options and must protect the ball.

Shielding is also a very CREATIVE way to slow down play and allow a defender to contain you while you are waiting for movement.

This generates time and space for support attackers to get into position before you pass.

In addition, you’ll see shielding being used in tight spaces on defense.

A defender will get into a battle with an attacker while shielding the ball out of play at the corner flag.

Knowing how to shield is key in soccer and that’s why I make it part of training sessions in our program.

But like any other technique it needs to be taught with the correct mechanics and lots of REPETITIONS!

Here are my top 7 tips for shielding the ball…

1) Make sure your body position is between...