An eye for detail
Day 5 of the training camp:
Today, Wednesday, the Bundesliga professionals of 1. FC Union Berlin focussed on targeted work on various team elements. Specific exercises were carried out for the defence, midfield and attack.
After an activation phase and a rather atypical warm-up in which the ball was carried in the hand instead of on the foot, the players moved on to various forms of play and standard training sessions.
Being one step quicker
Defence work may be less spectacular than scoring goals, but the demands are just as high. Defence players must always be one step ahead of the opposing attackers and anticipate the game. It is important to exert constant pressure on the opponent and keep the spaces tight. At the training camp, this is illustrated with the help of drone footage, which distances should be maintained between the chains and when is the right time to attack the opponent. How Union's defensive players behave in set-piece situations is also analysed in detail. ‘At a corner, we defenders have to make sure we position ourselves sensibly and keep an eye on both the ball and our opponents,’ explained centre-back Danilho Doekhi after the session.
However, it's not just about simply clearing the ball, but also about recognising the open space and switching quickly to the midfielders and forwards to initiate the next attack.
The link in a team
The midfield is the centrepiece of every team, working both forwards and backwards and setting the pace of the game. Midfielders have to constantly bring new ideas into the game, act in a low-risk manner and make quick decisions. In an interview with AFTV, Aljoscha Kemlein explains that it is important to always be active. In training, the players practise making split-second decisions and constantly improving on smaller pitches with tight spaces.
In addition to supporting the defenders, midfielders also pay attention to playing to the attacking players on the opponent's far foot, taking the ball on and off the ball in a sensible way and finding the right timing for the ball to be released to set up the strikers.
Movement without the ball
Attackers are usually measured by their goals, but a good attacking game involves much more than just scoring goals. ‘We strikers make a lot of runs that at first glance appear to be in vain, but are fundamental to creating chances,’ emphasised Ivan Prtajin in a recent interview. Through these runs, the strikers open up spaces that can be utilised by other team-mates. This makes the attacking play variable and difficult to defend.
It's not just about scoring your own goal, but also about getting teammates into goal-scoring situations and acting as a ball distributor. In drills without opposing pressure, running routes were rehearsed that included various passing sequences. ‘It's important to open up gaps for passing lanes where there weren't any before,’ Prtajin continued.
Quote of the day: ‘If you don't know, Janik, then nobody knows’ - A fellow player on Janik Haberer in a social media quiz.
Head coach Bo Svensson and his coaching team want to see some of the principles that have been honed this week on the pitch in tomorrow's second test match of the summer preparations against FC Dynamo Kiev.
The diary entries at a glance:
