A characteristic of a great team in any sport is effective and efficient communication between the different positional units and individual players.
For the LSU soccer team (4-6-2, 0-2-1 Southeastern Conference) this season, developing communication has been difficult with many young players are playing significant minutes in key positions.
Unlike many teams across the SEC that start mainly juniors and seniors, LSU has freshmen starting at forward, midfielder and defender.
The youth combined with the loss of the team’s lone senior, midfielder Alex Arlitt to injury has made the establishment of communication difficult at all levels.
“To be honest, it’s just an area we need to improve on with a young team,” said LSU head coach Brian Lee. “We don’t talk productively on the field to each other at the right times and with the right words. As a team, we have to be a little better about giving information and receiving information. Be a little more polished and mature about how we handle ourselves.”
Although the Tigers failed to effectively communicate at times during the season, the progression of communication has come along, creating a more cohesive defensive line and a more explosive attack.
In the last two matches, Lee showed his confidence in the team’s ability to communicate by changing the formation against both No. 10 Texas A&M and Arkansas.
Normally, the Tigers play a 4-4-2 formation where both the defensive and midfield lines are composed of four players and two forwards play up top.
Against the Aggies, the Tigers changed both their formation and defensive tactics, which required quick, precise communication among players who were playing very specific roles in the defense.
“We opened up with a five-back, where we were going to have the outside backs attack late,” Lee said. “We wanted their center backs to play the entry passes.”
Junior midfielder Fernanda Piña’s goal in the second minute, Lee said, was a product of how formation and defensive unit worked effectively through communication.
In the Arkansas match, the communication among forwards played an important role because the Razorbacks play man-to-man marking defense. Marking man-to-man instead of the usual zone marking allows players off the ball to make space for break aways by drawing their defenders away from the middle of the field.
Two out of the Tigers’ three goals against Arkansas were scored this way. Defender Megan Lee and forward Summer Clarke, both sophomores, scored breakaway goals, where the other forwards made wide runs to clear space for their teammate to get a one-on-one chance with the keeper.
“[Junior forward] Lexi [Gibbs] and Fernanda made two amazing runs that completely cleared the outside,” Clarke said. “Props to them for that because if they hadn’t made those runs, I wouldn’t have gotten that goal.”
Two key factors have contributed to the team’s overall development of chemistry and communication.
First, the leadership of more veteran players has progressed throughout the season and helped the freshmen adapt to the challenges of playing in the SEC.
Megan has grown into a leader on the back line, helping freshman keeper Lily Alfeld organize the defensive line.
“Every game, I try to be the big talker on the field,” Megan said. “Of course, we have Lily and she tries to shout from goalkeeper, but it’s not the same as someone on the pitch running around with you to talk. I’ve definitely taken on more a vocal leader and everyone comes off of that.”
Second, time spent playing together allowed the Tigers to get more comfortable with one another’s playing style and allowed the offense to develop naturally.
“I think [the communication] is coming along in the fact we can kind of read each other like where we are going to go,” Megan said. “We are starting to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”