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60 min
4 drills
U16 - Seniors

Session Inspired by Diego Simeone: Defensive Dueling and Zonal Collective Organization

This session is centered on defensive fundamentals, from the individual duel to the collective structure. Through a progression from aggression in the duel to organization by zones, players will learn to defend with aggression, cover, and compactness. The session ends with a constrained small-sided game to reinvest what's been learned in a live situation.

Drill #1

Individual Proactive Screening Between Three Mini-Goals

Individual Proactive Screening Between Three Mini-Goals

10 min
6-24 players
Warm-up
U16 - Seniors
An individual drill that sharpens game reading and the instinct to step forward onto the ball, rather than waiting passively for an interception....

Drill #2

1v2 Underload With a Recovering Second Defender

1v2 Underload With a Recovering Second Defender

15 min
6-24 players
Small-sided games
U16 - Seniors
A drill that sharpens the first defender's aggression and the second defender's recovery speed, replicating a real defensive transition rather than the usual 2v1....

Drill #3

Team Defensive Circuit Across 4 Zones From the Press to the Box

Team Defensive Circuit Across 4 Zones From the Press to the Box

20 min
18-26 players
Small-sided games
U18 - Seniors
A circuit that reproduces, in match order, the main phases of defensive organization, from the initial press through to defending the box, for a complete match-reading sequence in one continuous drill....

Drill #4

4v4+2 With Target players at the Mini-Goals

4v4+2 With Target players at the Mini-Goals

15 min
12-24 players
Small-sided games
U16 - Seniors
A positional game that sharpens the defensive block's vertical compactness, with the two target players' placement forcing defenders to constantly cut off the inside channels....

Session Objectives & Focus Areas

Shooting Passes Positional play Defensive recovery / Tracking back Duels Cognitive Scanning Overload Offensive combinations

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