In July I spoke with Ben Sigmund about defending in the A-League.
Sigmund was an integral part of the Wellington Phoenix defence for eight seasons. He played 181 games for the Nix as well as 32 matches for the New Zealand All Whites. My thanks to Sigmund for the opportunity to learn from his insights.
The topic of interest with Sigmund was about defensive tracking, especially in and around the penalty box. The focus was on how players can improve on this task. As well as the situations that happen in matches, we discussed that the events that occur in players’ lives off the field can have profound influences on the ability of players to concentrate on the field.
This principle is very important during this COVID-19 era, when all players are experiencing vastly different surroundings compared to normal times. When the matches below were played, the players were also isolated from their families and friends, their support systems, for much longer than usual.
I asked Sigmund about the provisions made by A-League clubs for the mental well-being of players. The clubs make listening-ear opportunities available to players on an individual basis, but few players accept these chances. It is possible that some players would interpret availing themselves of this service publicly as a sign of personal weakness. Sigmund was especially concerned for the welfare of young players, who receive minimal amounts of guidance.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
In contrast, Sigmund maintains that professional rugby union players in New Zealand are required to participate in four hours of non-rugby per week. This means using that time to look after personal health and mental well-being. Rugby also tends to value sports psychologists for their regular, scheduled contributions during the season.
In football, psychologists tend to be brought in when things are not going well for the team. This intervention is thought of as a quick fix, as mental aspects of the game are not routinely captured during the week in the regular A-League season.
Reflecting on his career, Sigmund said that maybe he could have relaxed a bit more to reduce tunnel vision. He praised former Nix teammate Daniel Cortez, who demonstrated a relaxed way of playing, which enabled Cortez to have open vision. Cortez scored the first goal in the first game at the start of the Phoenix’s A-League journey.
When Sigmund speaks of tunnel vison it reminds me that players receiving assistance from clubs to achieve a relaxed state of mind could pay great dividends for their teams. Tunnel vision must be happening when players only have eyes for the ball when defending. This means they will miss the runs of the quick goal-poaching strikers who can sprint untracked towards a vulnerable goal.
Sigmund said he always wanted to achieve his best for his fellow players and to perform consistently at the highest levels. At times it was difficult for him not to dwell on mistakes and to focus instead on the many more positives there were to his game.
These issues exist for all players but will be especially confronting to the current crop of A-League players as they contemplate the next season and whatever that may bring. These are difficult times for them as indeed they are for the whole world.
There are psychologists, life coaches and a myriad of other professional helpers who can provide individuals (or groups) with regular and time-tabled interactive help. If this becomes part of the players’ overall training programme, it can provide confidence and motivation, identify strengths and reduce stress.
And yes, this well-being initiative could also improve a defender’s concentration in and around the penalty box.
This is my ball-watching analysis for the final nine matches of the regular season, prior to the finals.
| Goals conceded | Defending team | Goal scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Ball watching (seven goals) | ||
| Jay O’Shea | Brisbane Roar | Luke Ivanovic |
| Ben Halloran | Adelaide United | Adrian Luna |
| Cameron Devlin | Wellington Phoenix | Nick Fitzgerald |
| Callan Elliott | Wellington Phoenix | Bernie Ibini |
| Anthony Caceres | Sydney FC | Besart Berisha |
| Tomoki Imai | Western United | Jamie Maclaren |
| Unnamed | Sydney FC | Steve Lustica |
| Focused defence (ten goals) | ||
| Penalties (four goals) | ||
| Total (21 goals) |
NoMates
Guest
Great write up and thanks for insightful info, being a Nix supporter its always great to hear these things from past players that makes sense in todays world of football.
jbinnie
Guest
Pete - The subject you have chosen here is a minefield ,not because your questions and answers are wrong but the fact that they discuss a matter that has been common knowledge since around 1967 when an exercise conducted at Loughborough College in England by people interested in putting some instruction as how to any game, involving teams or sides, could be broken down into simple English and made public knowledge. The main instigators in this endeavour were 2 well educated men in Alan Wade and Eric Worthington. By 1973,the latter of these 2 was invited to Australia to become the Director of Coaching. Worthington set about the task and by 1974 was organising and conducting coaching schools all around the country, not just for players, but for anyone who fancied themselves as a coach. These were high tempo ,live in sessions, usually a week long and I was lucky enough to attend the one held at Tallebudgera in 1975. It was then that I was introduced to the principles of attack and defence, which, when everything is boiled down, are almost diametrically opposed to each other, defenders marking opponents up tight, attackers in an almost endless search for spaces in a defensive system. Eric Worthington had a book published in 1974 called Teaching Soccer Skills, a book that today ,some 46 years later should be a reference book for every coach trying to teach players, young and old. In this book you will read of first ,second, and third defenders, their jobs in any given situation, and conversely the jobs of first, second, and third attackers and what they should be doing to split a defence. You will also read about the benefits of playing, in practice, small sided games to impart to your pupils how these principles succeed or fail It should also be remembered that small sided games were an integral part of the Dutch based "curriculum" foisted upon us in early 2006 ,no doubt at great expense by the FFA , but it could be said some 35 years too late. Worthington had his "wings clipped 'a few years later when the Australian Government banned any sort of cigarette advertising from the game and Worthington, whose salary was being paid by Rothman's ,was moved back into almost "no man's land" by an administration that had little ,or no knowledge of any form of sports coaching. And so ,between 1974 and 2006, we have a desert of coaching education in this country, hence the almost unprecedented hiring of foreign coaches to look after our national side the Socceroos.in that time. We have had Dutch, German, English, Scottish & Slavic, all at great expense trying to get our players up to world standard. In the late 90's someone in high places finally decided that maybe Worthington did deserve some recognition and he was inducted into Soccer's Hall of Fame. Big deal for a man who some 25 years earlier had spelled out the message, get the coaching right and the good players will follow. Hope this is of some help. Try for the book it should be in local libraries Cheers jb.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Excellent topic Pete. Sport is played not just physically but between the ears, one with the other. Often the brain stuff is the difference between champions and the rest. It’s also sad but true that coming out and saying that you’d like assistance with the mental side will raise questions in the minds of the coaching staff and others. All of a sudden the coach is deciding whether to ‘trust’ the player to perform on the pitch or are they going to be a liability. The easy option is to leave the player out. The harder option but more rewarding option for all would be to work with the player. It sends a signal that all are valued.