SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums College, Pro & International Soccer The Man Watching - Anson Dorrance (UNC Soccer)

Anyone read this book yet? I'm reading it at the moment... I didn't know an awful lot about the man prior to reading it but I did know quite a bit about the UNC Ladies Soccer Program. Anyone got any thoughts or opinions on Anson or his methods... I'd like to hear something other than what I'm getting from the book.

Anson is one of the best women's soccer coaches in the country. Many people argue that he succeeds because he gets the best recruits in the country. Of course we all know it takes more then just putting the best players on the field. He continues to find ways to motivate players improve players and challenge them to reach their potential. Look at our National team; it is full of UNC players. Foreign coaches come to learn from Anson, businesses pay a tremendous amount of money to bring him in for lectures on team building. Football coaches come and ask for his advice. He is the Dean Smith of women's soccer. I recommend everything he has written and go watch him train at camp or with his UNC team.

One interesting facet of the UNC system is the current players have a role in picking the new recruits. If the current ladies do not like the recruits, they stop getting recruited. It is about the team, everything else comes from there. He also posts daily statistics on every practice, on many aspects of the game - to motivate his kids.

I got to hear him speak at a function and he talked about his first year as coach. He was the UNC men's coach prior to getting the women's job and he said he started off treating the ladies just like he did the men. It was a disaster. But he tells it in such a funny way....very entertaining.

Everything is about competition and earning points on a daily basis.

If you don't like to compete every single day......forget it, it's not for you.

And what about his style of play? In the book he talks about a 3-4-3 system that basically involves laying seige to the opposition for the 90 minutes with superior fitness levels. He doesn't talk very much about tactical or technical development... from what I can make out he almost tries to remove it altogether. I realise that his girls come out very strong players at the end of it... but is that a testament to their own ability or Dorrance's methods?
Would Mia Hamm have become "Mia Hamm" were it not for UNC (she doesn't think so!). At World Cup 2007 - 5 players on the USA Roster were products of the UNC system... the same US team that was dismissed so conclusively by Brazil in the latter stages... Brazil, a team that encourages individual expression with the ball, creativity and flair in the final third... it almost seems that the Brazilian way is completely opposite to Dorrances approach.

Which way do you want to see your kids play?

For one, most top DI program recruit players that are very strong technical players. Most college coaches don't spend much time on technical development because they are only allowed 20 hours per or so with the players on the soccer field. The majority of time is spending on tactical and getting the team to function as a unit. Much of the technical development happens in the off-season. At UNC they spend alot of time improving players in the off-season and during the summer month.
I agree when Anson went to a 3-4-3 the game became more direct and physical power and speed was more important then technical skills. This system looked more like kick and run for the first couple of years compared to his controlled and play out of the back system in previous years. The 3-4-3 is still in the development stage in the women's game. As players are getting better technical the more sophisticated the/his system can become.
Many foreign teams and players have caught up with the development of female players. Germany won the World Cup with much less talented players, but played in a system that was hard to break down.
I agree with your statement that Brazil has done a tremendous job in the development of individual 'take on artist'. We still have some of the most athletic players in the world; we just need to continue to nurture players that have that flair. Another advantage of foreign players is that they watch top notch soccer and have the passion for it. How many girls watch top notch soccer in the United States? How many have the passion to follow soccer throughout the year on the professional level?

I have read, listened and watched practices and games of his for many years. One thing you will find in his methods of simple is that they create a possiblitity for the complex. His team plays simple to make it complex for the other team.
Consider the difficulty in a 45 degree angle ball across the box for the D. This is the first piece of the puzzle. It all starts from that one play.
Example with the 3-4-3. On paper it seems as an all out attack. Watching games its just serious pressure defense in the buildup area.
In womens soccer the first coach in training/matches to figure out "this ain't boys" is going to do very well.
Anrew after that book try "The vision of a champion" by Anson Dorrance. "Catch them being good" Tony Dicicco, is a perfect weekend book to read.