Have you ever seen a soccer team keep and move the ball very well? Barcelona comes to mind immediately, and the AC Milan of old, Real Madrid during the days of Zidane, Arsenal, Manchester United, or any Brazilian National team. They all were/are excellent in ball possession and control. There was a flow and magic to their game that you had to admire. It seemed as though every player was involved and there was a high level of trust amongst all team members.

The superficial interpretation of this is that they are technically good, tactically sound soccer players. This is certainly true, but the major contributor to the collective success, is that the players had confidence and trust each others ability and decision making capabilities under pressure. These players appreciate the value of allowing another player to be their eyes. They also knew their role, when they are the play maker and when they are a play supporter. This lends to a rhythm of play that is very difficult to break and compete against, because the players know when to be simple, when to play where they are facing and when to be creative. Everyone is on the team is on the same page and seem to know what eachother are thinking.

Though trust and confidence often comes from years of playing together in a system where every role is clearly defined, this time period can also be shortened by players taking the time to understand each others roles. The natural rotation of players, therefore, does not put anyone in an unfamiliar situation. This allows for multiple attacking options, which makes the soccer team much more unpredictable.

As a former player, I can certainly appreciate the value of trusting my team mates. There is, however, nothing more gratifying than knowing that your team trusts you.

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