Scoring goals in soccer puts points on the board, but good defense wins games.   Your strikers can be the best in the world, but without a strong defense supporting your goalie your team will not win the game.

The fundamental object of playing defense in the game of soccer is to prevent the other team from scoring.   There are several ways to do this and all are important skills that when combined correctly can increase your chances of preventing a goal and stealing the ball.

The basic skill of soccer defense is to apply pressure to the player with the ball.   This can be done by approaching a player with appropriate speed and angle to force the soccer player  toward the touchline.  By using this tactic you can actually use the end line as an extra defensive player.  The end line cuts off the options for the offense as you force the player to it.  It is important to use the appropriate angle of approach to the player with the ball.  If you choose the wrong approach you can give the soccer player two options to escape.  You want to approach the player at the right speed and angle to only give them one escape, and that is toward the end line.   Check out the video here to see some simple applications of this skill in a drill setting.   If you or your players can learn the best ways to use your angles and speed you will have a force to be reckoned with in the backfield.

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