Top 10 Scariest Soccer Players

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.



As it's Halloween today, I thought it was apt to create a top ten list of the scariest soccer players ever to grace a soccer field. From Terry Butcher to John Terry, players past and present have struck fear into the opposition’s hearts. They are the players nobody messes with, and the players who wouldn’t need to wear a mask when they dress up for Halloween. But who would you say was the scariest soccer player ever? Here is my list, let’s see if you agree!

#10: Stuart Pearce
Stuart 'Pyscho' Pearce was probably the last great ‘hard’ English player. A tough, but not dirty, defender; Pearce was ever present in the National team. Now in management, he maintains his ‘Psycho’ reputation, losing his temper on the touchline on a regular basis.

#9: Thomas Gravesen
Despite being a skillful player, Gravesen has a reputation for a bad temper and reckless tackles, and not just on the pitch! When at Real Madrid, Gravesen and Robinho exchanged punches at training, after Gravesen slid in on Robinho during a practice session.

School's Out Mini Camps

United Soccer Academy provide School's Out Mini Camps on school holidays throughout the year.  We have already held hugely successful Columbus Day camps on October 10 and our next camps are set to run on November 10 & 11 as all the teachers will be at the NJEA Convention!

Mini Camps are condensed versions of our most popular summer camps and inlcude:

• Soccer Squirts
• NetBursting Soccer
• World Cup Soccer

School's Out Mini Camps are being held across New Jersey for ages 3-14 depending on the camp.  Camps are usually half-day camps and range in cost from $35-$75.

For more information and to search for a camp near you, click here.

Our sister company, the US Sports Institute, is also holding a Multi Sport camp on Nov 10-11.  For more details, click here.

Top 10 Most Entertaining Soccer Managers

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.



Soccer managers get a lot of stick sometimes. They get blamed when things go wrong, criticized when they lose or tie a game they should have won, and grilled by the press over squad selection, transfers and pretty much everything else! However, some soccer managers take all this in their stride and provide us with some very funny, cringe-worthy and classic moments. But who would you say were the most entertaining soccer managers? Here is my list, let’s see if you agree!

#10: Steve McClaren
Dubbed ‘The wally with the brolly’ when managing England, Steve McClaren is probably most known for imitating a Dutch accent in an interview when managing FC Twente, even though he is from York! Have a look at it here, it’s a good watch!

#9: Ian Holloway
Managing quality English teams such as new Premier League side QPR, as well as lower league sides such as Leicester City, Ian Holloway is a great watch in interviews. Quotes such as “Apparently it’s my fault the Titanic sank” when criticized by fans, have given him cult hero status.

Soccer Position Requirements Part 2: Wide Midfielders and Attackers

Contributed by Tom Lake.
Area Manager, USA Sport Group.

click to enlarge

Back to Part 1

Wide Midfielders

• Some of the fittest players in the team with a VO2max of 63/64 ml/kg/body wt
• A good recovery rate is important, therefore short recovery work training is essential
• Ideally players will have pace
• Can be physically smaller subject to the team’s format
• Mobile and agile therefore need to do relevant agility and power work
• Two-footed players in this position will be a massive advantage in order to go inside and outside of defenders, for example

Attacker: Target Man

• Usually big players with a presence
• Ideally with good agility and balance under pressure therefore need relevant agility and power training
• Dynamically strong players
• Vertical, single leg jumping power
• This is an explosive position so training should reflect that; work on the first step and acceleration
• Average VO2max 59 ml/kg/body wt
• Must enjoy the contact side of the sport
• If the timing of jumps is a conditioning issue then it should be specifically worked on

Attacker: Channel Man

• Fit players with above average VO2max
• Good pace, some of the quickest players in the team
• Speed endurance training is essential
• Agile in terms of turning quickly; this skill should be practiced
• Balanced
• This is an explosive position therefore training should reflect that; linear and curvilinear acceleration, for example
• Strength required to hold off defenders

Tom hails from Barnstaple in the south west of England and supports Chelsea. He also follows Derby County as he used to work for them. He currently coaches Watchung Hills U12 Wild and U9 Mustangs.

Soccer Position Requirements Part 1: Defenders and Central Midfielders

Contributed by Tom Lake.
Area Manager, USA Sport Group.



Academy Coach Tom Lake tells us the ideal athletic attributes soccer players possess depending on the position they play.

click to enlarge

Center Backs

• Powerful and possess dynamic strength
• Physically strong under contact situations
• High vertical, single leg jumping power
• Balanced - rarely talked about in fitness, but important in this position
• Agile - must be able to turn quickly in both directions
• Anaerobically, this position requires a very fit player therefore lots of explosive training is required
• High endurance capacity is not needed - players can get away with a relatively low VO2max (VO2max is a measure of the body's oxygen processing capability)
• Ideally have pace - this becomes more important if the player is not physically that big
• Should enjoy the contact side of the sport
• Must be very mentally strong

Full Backs

• High aerobic capacity (looking for a VO2max of 63/64ml of oxygen per kg of body weight)
• Some top managers expect full backs to be the fittest players in the team
• Speed endurance work is very important
• The modern game is tending to use taller players in this position, although this is not essential
• Aerobic recovery interval training (based on heart rate) is important
• Players with pace will stand out in this position

Central Midfielders

• Good aerobic foundation is essential as they are the "engine room of the team"
• Physically the team's "all rounder" and does a lot of everything
• Holding midfielders - strong, agile and good in the tackle
• Advanced midfielders - "box to box", high intensity players so training must reflect this.  They will need to do more longer sprint work, for example
• Ideally should be able to play with both feet
• Are always twisting, turning and changing directions, must therefore have very good local muscular endurance and be very highly fatigue resistant
• Pace - this will be very much a bonus

Part 2: Wide Midfielders and Forwards.

Tom hails from Barnstaple in the south west of England and supports Chelsea. He also follows Derby County as he used to work for them. He currently coaches Watchung Hills U12 Wild and U9 Mustangs.

Summer Development Soccer

We know summer is a long way off but now is the time to think about selecting a summer team to play on!  The USA Summer Development Soccer (SDS) Program is a summer program which provides soccer players across New Jersey and Pennsylvania the opportunity to participate in competitive tournaments and scrimmages throughout the months of June and July.  These tournaments include Neptune, Pocono, CJ Invitational and Maps Caps.

Players are provided with developmental training by professional trainers, and at the end of the program they receive evaluations on their performance throughout the summer detailing how they can improve as they move towards the regular season with their club.

We are currently holding tryouts for girls and boys teams from ages U8 through to U17. All players must register online prior to tryouts. Tryouts for the girls teams are this Sunday October 23 from 6pm onwards at the the Bound Brook High School turf in NJ. Boys tryouts will be held on Sunday 6 November from 6pm onwards also at Bound Brook High School.

For more information and to register for tryouts, please visit our SDS homepage.

Top 10 Soccer Club Rivalries

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.



This weekend when watching Liverpool vs Manchester United, one of the biggest soccer games and long standing rivalries in English soccer, I began to think about other derbies around the world. Whether it is due to religion, history, politics, location or simply pure passion, whatever the stage or whatever the competition, some games mean more to the club, fans and players than any other. So what match ups would you say were the biggest club rivalries in world soccer? Here is my list, let’s see if you agree!

#10: Corinthians vs Palmeiras (Brazil)
Derby Paulista, as it’s known in Brazil, is the rivalry between the two oldest surviving clubs in the capital Sao Paulo. With the first game between the two clubs being played in 1917, they have played each other 335 times so far to date. It is a very feisty affair on the pitch, with red cards seen by both sets of players more often than not.

#9 Boca Juniors vs River Plate (Argentina)
This rivalry is all about class and wealth. River Plate's supporters traditionally come from the wealthier areas of Buenos Aries, and the Boca supporters from the working class community. All eyes of Argentina are on these teams when they play, especially seeing as half of the nation’s population supports one or other of these clubs!

Soccer: Correct Passing Technique

Contributed by Martin Punt.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

Passing. This is the fundamental skill of all soccer players. It is essential that all players develop an effective passing technique to ensure possession is kept successfully during a game. Here are some important points to focus on when practicing your passing.

1. Make decision on where you want to pass the ball.

2. Approach the ball and place non kicking foot (plant foot) next to the ball.

3. Keep head and knee over the ball to ensure ball is passed along the ground.

4. Ensure contact is made with the inside of the foot. Ankle must remain locked with the inside of the kicking foot and toes of the plant foot pointing towards your target.

5. Make contact with the middle of the ball again to ensure ball is kept on the ground.

6. Follow through of kicking leg also points towards target.

It is essential that contact is NOT made with the toe. This is a widespread problem. To avoid this the toes of the kicking foot must be pointed to the side to create a L shape with their foot.

Repetition is an effective way to practice this technique. It ensures players can develop muscle memory and once this basic technique is mastered more advice skills can be introduced.

Looking for a session plan on passing?

Communication for Soccer Coaches

Contributed by Martin Punt.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

In your role as a soccer coach, you need to communicate effectively with a lot of different people; your players, parents, grandparents, officials, other soccer coaches, association directors, etc. All of them have different agendas and need communicating with in different ways.

The Players

Communication with your players goes far beyond simply giving them instruction. If you took a communications class in high school or college you will remember that more than 50% of communication is non-verbal. Facial expressions and tone of voice also convey a great deal of the communication. Leave the sarcasm at home! Players may place a great deal of importance on anything you may say or do, possibly more than what their parents’ may say or do. Also, although it can be tough with 12 jabbering kids, try to listen to each one, allowing each one to talk in turn.

A few pointers:

1. Talk to the players' on their level, both physically and emotionally. This may mean getting down on one knee and looking into their eyes as you communicate. Use simple, direct statements that are less likely to be misinterpreted.

2. Don't wear sunglasses on the practice or game field. Players need to make eye contact with you to fully understand the communication.

3. Be positive, honest and sincere with your players. When trying to correct a particular skill problem, it can be advantageous to make the mistake yourself and then point out your own shortcomings. Players will respect a coach that is honest. Be positive; constant 'nagging' will only 'turn off' your players.

Top 10 US Soccer Players Abroad

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

American players have started to become ever present in world soccer, from legends such as Brian McBride and Kasey Keller, to up and coming stars such as Freddy Adu and Juan Agudelo. The US National Soccer Team has also become a force to be reckoned with and this is leading to US soccer stars being snapped up by clubs from all over the world. But who would you say were the Top Ten US players playing abroad? Here is my list, let’s see if you agree!

#10: Maurice Edu

Appearances for US National Soccer Team: 27

Maurice Edu, who plays as a central midfielder, cut short his time at college to join Major League Soccer and was drafted by Toronto FC in 2007 where he won MLS Rookie of the Year. In 2008, Edu signed for Scottish Premier League side Rangers where he has won the championship every season since joining. Edu scored his first international goal in a friendly against the Czech Republic in May 2010. But he could have been awarded his first competitive goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when he volleyed in a free kick in the 85th minute against Slovenia with the game tied at 2-2. The referee disallowed the goal.

#9: Oguchi Onyewu

Appearances for US National Soccer Team: 60

Oguchi Onyewu has traveled the globe playing in many different leagues; including France, Belgium, England, Italy and the Netherlands. He currently plays for Sporting CP in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. A strong center back known for his hard tackles and no nonsense approach, Onyewu has made 60 appearances for the USA and at 29, still has a few years left in the international spotlight. One little known fact; Onyewu is the tallest outfield player in US history measuring 1.93 meters!

Practicing Soccer at Home: Foot Skills

Contributed by Martin Punt.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

Many soccer parents often ask how their child can play soccer at home in the backyard to improve their foot skills and quickness with the ball, and for how long?  Martin Punt has some great suggestions:

Juggling a soccer ball is a fun activity that develops ball control, balance, and coordination.  Compete against yourself and see if you can beat your score.

Also practice dribbling trying to use all parts of your feet (inside, outside, sole, laces).  Count how many times you can touch the soccer ball or make it change direction.  Set up obstacles to avoid in order to increase ball control.

Practicing for 10 minute periods will help develop these skills.

Many coaches use similar activities as a warm up at the start of practice or before a game.  Players should familiarize themselves with these types of activities and practice them at home.

Worst Ever Soccer Misses!

Everyone loves it when a player misses an open goal... except when it's your own team.  Fernando Torres' miss against Manchester United last week prompted us to find the worst ever misses.  We've compiled a list of our top 10 but we need a winner!

Click here to watch the clips and vote!

 Unlucky, Fernando.