Soccer File DEFENDING COALIENDING I by James Nixon Photography by Bobby Humphrey Smart Apple Media
STOPPING Goals Defending is all about stopping the scoring them All the best teams have opposition from scoring a goal It may a strong defense Defense plays a big not seem as much fun but keeping part in winning games goals out is just as important as Put the Pressure on When your team loses the ball it's time to defend It is not just defenders that are responsible for defending The whole team including midfielders and forwards need to put pressure on the opposition when they have the ball When defending you O OO O OOI have two main jobs The OO 0 0 0 most important thing Ooa is to try to put a stop to your opponent's attack You must also try to a regain possession of 0 the ball for your team 0 0 Opponents on the ball need to be pressured in all areas of the field This makes it harder for them to build an attack 0 0 0 0
The Back Line The last line of a team's defense are EXPERT Faye White the defenders and goaltender They must be determined and brave and do all they can to stop the ball from going into the net Defenders spend their time marking forwards tackling and Clearing the ball to safety Goaltenders need to command their penalty area catch crosses and make saves More rests on the goaltender than any other player If the goalie makes a mistake the result can be disastrous England captain and defender Faye White has all the attributes it takes to be a top defender She is tall strong and dominant in the air and the tackle White is also willing to put her body on the line In the 2009 European Championship Final she played with a broken cheekbone She had to wear a mask to protect her face above n EXPERT Tim Howard Tim Howard is the United States number one goaltender and one of the top shot stoppers in the game Like all good goaltenders Howard also takes charge of his defense Howard is constantly shouting at the defenders in front of him to iE alert them of opponents and to get them into position
