My Best Center Mid Performance Ever! | Every Touch Game Analysis

what's going on guys welcome back to another game analysis video in this game my team Hartford athletic are taking on Detroit City FC and now I think this is my best performance ever as a center mid and that's not saying a lot because this is only my second game ever as a center mid in my professional career so uh yeah it's it's a new position for me I've played like 140 games I think most of them at right back are left back Summit right winger left Winger and even Summit Center back but this is the first time I've ever played in this Central Midfield position now usually when it comes to these game analysis videos a lot of it is kind of like me almost teaching a lot of you guys or you're watching like what's going through my head and kind of honestly of an instructional video of how to play the position and now this is kind of shifting a little bit more to me learning the position um and kind of learning along with you guys now obviously I'm a pro footballer I still know where every position needs to be off-ball movements on ball movements you know that just kind of comes along with being a pro but actually doing it in a professional environment is something completely different and I found you know playing here that the little things that I would take for granted as a right back like knowing exactly what to do and just feeling so natural was very unnatural coming in here into that attacking Center mid position um here's the lineup for Detroit city they're coming out with five in the back like a five two to one or five four one whatever you want to call it but yeah let's just get into the video get into every touch get into my analysis and uh and you guys can see how I played this attacking Center mid-roll so we're going to start off with the kick we are the green and blue team Detroit cities coming out and the white and looks like like mint green colorway here's my very first touch in the game coming up after this right here ball comes into my right back immediately I'm just kind of doing what I would want my Center mid to do in this position if I'm playing right back which is check away and then pop into this space so you can see my first movement to my left and then I'm going to pop right in here between all these players I'm checking my shoulder looking forward to see if I can hit hit this ball down the line I'm seeing a lot of pressure come in so I'm going to take my touch away from that pressure with the outside of my right foot back into space drive a little bit and then play back to my Center back just so we can keep the ball right here now once again ball comes into my right back now instead you can see I'm kind of in front of my guide this left wing back really steps here so I'm pointing I want the ball down into space it's a great ball in I try to control it Mist touch it a little bit and then it just goes out push um their Defender into the ball and I don't even actually think he touches it but they call a corner kick here which was a kind of fortunate turn of events for us so end up getting the corner kick here in the fourth minute now defensively here's my first action in the game I'm off the screen I was going to follow in Maxi Rodriguez as he makes this run in and then apply a lot of pressure I really don't want to give up a foul here because it could be inside the box for a penalty but just even generally this is a really dangerous area to lose a conceit a free kick there so I'm just applying a lot of pressure but not giving myself away and uh and fouling here now right here this is my first mistake this is a great one too Antoine plays me the ball he wants the ball back he's got tons of time and space it's not bad to drive in but look at him he's wide open if I would have played this ball here it could be a 3v3 counter attack instead I keep on driving a little bit and then I should I'm looking for prints here I should just play Rito I'd take another you know touch it's way too many touches here I need to simplify it here and just and just play play into Antoine so he can take the ball or if I don't see that and I take my touch out to the right playing Torito my right back so doing a little bit too much there and uh lost the ball because of it now trying to bring the ball down here get a little bit lucky with that Ricochet but now the ball kind of kind of goes in behind Detroit's defense I know this Defender is going to get back in time I'm going to play back into my left back and stay wide Luke tries to find in Kyle Edwards our Striker and the ball bounces back to me drive inside a little bit uh keep possession of the ball here and then as I kind of drive down this sideline he's getting way too crowded so I'm going to play the ball back to my left back again and we can circulate the ball once again but a good job we keep possession in that uh in their half which at times it didn't look like I was gonna do ball comes right into our Striker Elvis it pops right back to me first touch now I'm just gonna play into my Winger prince it's kind of hard to see since it's over on the far side of the field but he plays it back to our right back who plays it back to me and then I know I've checked my shoulder I know I have a lot of pressure coming so I'm keeping that ball away from this Defender and just holding it underneath my foot and as I feel that contact come in on my left side falling down and winning the free kick there now ball in our own half it's just kind of in the corner here I'm just watching my guy starting to notice that we're about to get broken down and then I'm just tracking back inside of the 18 Yard Box just to uh just to protect that area and then just making my body big trying to get something in front of it I think it bounces or ricochets off my heel here um just to not make that shot an easy one but all comes into me I'm looking at Kyle I'm checking my shoulder I noticed that this guy's right on my back so I can kind of take my touch with my right into that space drive forward and then immediately play into Antoine him behind I kind of had in the back of my head that I was taking a few 20 touches and driving a little bit too much and not releasing that pass quick enough so on that play I was like as soon as you beat The Defender play that ball in behind I think that's a good pass and then here this is defensively what my coaches wanted from me just because I have a little bit of a an engine you know I can run a lot so they just want a lot of defensive pressure here making them try to play backwards and just making it difficult for those guys in the center winning possession the ball there with a tackle it's a good counter attack and then we end up getting the ball out wide to uh to Prince to go down or I think it might have been out of bounds there now next play ball comes in the center of the field and this is how they get their first goal it's a nice little one too great off ball movement and they put away the goal in the 24th minute and I I just unfortunate here I think there's a little bit of a miscommunication it happens when player steps or two player steps at the same time and it's hard to communicate that early on but credits to Detroit it's a really good goal and it's hard to defend you can see here in the replay just boggles in behind because it kind of shields his uh his man I think that's Luke Shields Luke and then is able to have this guy kind of run in behind in behind our defense and Slot that in behind here's next touch in the game balls up just winning that header and then I just get cracked on the side of my head um after I win that header just hurt but luckily no concussion symptoms at all I got tested our trainer comes over does the full concussion protocol concussion test tracks my eyes ask me all those questions and everything and I'm all good so even though it hurt a little bit I was pretty lucky with uh no concussion signs at all and here's the replay that you can see I just go up win the header and then just heads Collide right as I'm trying to flick that on to Elvis and now this is why you have to be really really careful with all the concussion protocols and take this seriously because as soon as I get back on the field I step back on I get cleared by the referees long ball from I think it's a goal kick from Detroit and I'm immediately have to go up for a header and win that header and if I would have actually had a concussion that would be really really dangerous to go up for that and and sacrifice my head like that um but good defense from us good counter break comes right into me and again this is just me being you know I feel a little bit unnatural here and not recognizing this receiving the ball do a good job to bring it down Escape that first round of pressure but have you guys all around me I miss it looks wide open right here and I don't play that I take too many touches just I'm used to having a lot more time on the on the wings on the side of the field there's a right back and as a center mid as as many of you guys who are probably playing Center mid know that you have pressure coming from the front from the side from the back and you have a lot less time to take touches as a center mid and as a right back who's seen the whole field and usually only have one Winger that you have to beat now unfortunately here we get a penalty called I think it was on Prince Sadie our right winger just kind of brings down um one of the Detroit FC players as that ball gets crossed in the box so not not the best start from us here is the penalty from Detroit Maxie Rodriguez I think it's a pretty well hit penalty it's right at that like mid height but Joe Rice our goalkeeper makes a great save and we're able to defend that and uh they don't get a goal which is great fantastic save next play here great tackle from cave uh immediately into JP I'm just checking over my shoulder because I'm guessing that I'm about to get this ball as soon as this player starts to leave I do get that ball I'm able to turn because I've checked my shoulder I played immediately out to Prince Sadie our right winger and I just stay in the middle to uh to support that and that's a great ball through in Dorito and right here we have a 3v3 chance to uh to score here and a great great defensive effort I think Antoine comes in fouls the keeper ends up being uh Detroit City's kick there but good play great play and then header into uh Kyle from Prince Kyle takes him on 1v1 in the wing it's a great ball into Elvis great defense there to be honest and then it bounces right to Antoine hopino who scores on his old Club so that's great from Antoine great finish you can see too even on the Finish like he opens up everybody's expecting he's going to go far post and just cuts that across his body goes to the near post really good finish here you can see again here it is great tackle good block honestly a little unlucky from Detroit comes right down to Antoine right out of the six yard box and you can see what I'm saying he kind of like opens up his body and then just goes near post with that shot and uh fools the keeper great goal so now we're tied up one one and honestly kind of had a rough start but we respond well now ball Pops to me kind of tackle it here Falls right to JP and JP has a great little flick with the outside of his right foot I continue my run inside and now we have 3v2 now here Antoine really is calling for the ball I see Prince going in behind I think Kyle's marked here so I'm gonna take one more touch and then try to thread it through to Prince Sadie our right winger and I think that's a good ball I just think it's a little bit over hit it's it's you know I put a little bit too much behind it but still I think that's a good idea I don't think that's uh the wrong decision at all now ball pops out into Antoine top of the box and he kind of gets elbowed here Kyle fails to clear it there and unfortunately gets unlucky gets stuck under his foot and then Detroit capitalize here now I hate to be the guy that complains about calls from referee I I think it's so lame but I really do think this is a foul if a yellow card because his elbows straight to Antoine's head and also with the head injury rule if there's a injury to the head of a player you usually stop the uh stop the play here I mean you guys can be the judge I I like I said I hate I'm obviously so biased being a player for Hartford who's going down a goal here but I think that's a pretty clear elbow and foul top of the box um but you know I hate you know I don't want to take anything from Detroit it's a good win there ball Falls right to uh simmonsin and then he is able to uh to put that away Bob pops out to Antoine now a great ball into the back post here now I always kind of make the opposite movement and it's going over my head recycling my run I'm sure you guys have heard that recycling my run into the the center of the field so if this happens another great cross in I can just win that header and then Kyle almost wins that almost gets a shot on goal there so that's always my cue if the ball goes above my head I'm cycling in trying to get that second ball if it is headed back into the six or across the six yard box now 50th minute still in the first half um stoppage time Maxi Rodriguez with the corner kick right into the box Joe Rice collects it and then that is the end of the first half so uh not the best half from us um but Joe Rice with a big penalty save it could have been worse I think we could have capitalized in a couple uh key moments and then you know obviously I'm biased but I think that was a foul on Anton with the the elbow me personally I think it was a good half I think there's again a few times where I'm just feeling a little unnatural and not used to having pressure and three players surrounding me at times if I can release that ball a little bit quicker I think it'd be a great half from me here are the match stats from the first half pretty even I mean five to six on shots two to three on shots on target possessions pretty much split so it's a good game um Detroit's just capitalized on their opportunities and we've only capitalized one of our opportunities but it's a good half and hopefully we can go into the second half a Little Bit Stronger oh and actually I got to talk about this too in the second half we make a few substitutions and I get pushed back to right back we go four in the back now I'm playing right back my natural position so I'm pretty excited to to get back there and that's not to say like I didn't like playing Center mid I really enjoyed that getting involved in the attack trying something new it's a new challenge um wherever the coaches want to put me wherever they see me helping out the team I'm happy to to try out um but yeah definitely I think personally I enjoy playing right back the the most so here is the start of the second half Detroit City FC it's going to start with a kick they're gonna play it back to their Center mid Maxi Rodriguez who does a great through ball and uh we do not defend this well get counter-attacked we tuck in defensively the ball goes wide great ball in and then they almost score off of it so that's a terrible start from us 15 seconds in we almost concede a uh a shot on goal here's my first touch in the second half receiving the ball from my my left back actually passing that out to my right winger and as this right back comes and this Center back says centrally there's this big pocket of space here so I'm going to take that space running behind this is like a underlapping run because there's a great ball from Rito I check over my shoulder just to see where my Runners are I notice I have another Center back coming very hard so just one touch that on the ground in a dangerous area I think that's a great spot to score and unfortunately JP just doesn't put that away but it's a good effort from him and then here my uh my Winger is making a running behind so I'm just going to tuck back drop back and then just stand them up force them wide stand them up so great ball in but you know I trust my my goalkeeper and my center backs to to deal with those crosses from those deeper areas receiving the ball now opening up looking wide I have JP coming towards the center but I also have Rito right in this pocket right here too so I'm playing Dorito and I was about to make the underlapping run but I didn't think the space was there now because they kind of probably uh changed from the first time I did that underlapping run so I kind of just hold back now now here Center back goes to the ball I'm just tucking in behind for a little bit of support in case this happens and this is exactly what happens ball comes into max he plays it wide and then once again just standing up this Winger 1v1 forcing them wide cutting off the inside a little bit and just waiting to see what happens here I don't want to Lunge in just blocking any potential shot Conor does a good job to come over and make this a 2V1 even JP comes over to make this a 3v1 and this is a really good team defense forcing that ball back and then Rito comes in and wins that ball and drives forward for the counter attack so that's a really good team defense just checking over my shoulder now more inside here because my Winger Rito is high and wide so I don't want to be on the same plane as him it's going to be inside now I can take my touch forward because I I want to get in front of this guy here drive forward and I'm just going to cut the ball right here into Connor who's in a good spot top of the box so I'm going to chop this ball right into Connor and he's gonna play me right back take my touch inside and then I just quickly see Antoine here he's in I think he's in an offside position that's not a good ball it's a little way too deep on the wrong page but I just thought I'd try a little hook a little chip a little clip into the uh the back post here saving this ball from my Center mid opening up now I have a lot of pressure here and I just am going to kind of curl this ball into that pocket of space and Kyle Edwards my Striker does a really good job to win that ball and we get to keep the ball now attacked up this left side Stein washer with the uh with the drop kick comes all the way back I'm telling Nile and I was like screaming he's got it so I'm checking my shoulder because that header is probably going to come to me I'm going to turn open up and then just take my first touch in front of this striker in front of him so now I can just put my body in between him so if he wants to win the ball he either has to go around me or throw me he opts to go around me and as he goes around me I'm gonna turn away from that pressure inside and so I can go and keep the ball and play it back to Nile now so it was a very simple play but just keeping the ball in those situations is really important as a as a fullback and as a Defender you don't want to just clear those balls out all the time the ball comes right back into me from Kyle's a great ball you can see a lot of pressure so I'm gonna take my touch kind of against his momentum away from him and as soon as you take that first touch usually Strikers Wingers they they kind of give up so if you can get past their initial pressure you usually can get into a spot then where you can kind of then make a much easier pass try to win this header over over Simonson he flicks it on here and this is a great run from Reese Williams great touch from Reese Williams and then a great pass and just beats uh beats us defensively right exactly into the uh the one striker in the box and then they go up 3-1 on us 59th minute so it's it's I mean it's frustrating it's not been it hasn't been great um and plays like that I mean it feels like we're doing well we're starting off the second half well and then they have one play flick on and then it's just a great counter-attacking sequence and again I mean Rhys Williams the touch there the cross there and the Finish it's all very that's very good that's a great ball in um yeah I mean the goalkeeper doesn't have much of a chance there when he when the shot's coming right on top of your six yard box um but anyway uh moving on here's my next touch of the game just calling for this is pretty much right after the kickoff receiving that ball now I have tons of time tons of space so I'm going to drive forward into this space just to move my team up a little bit up the field driving in and as you can see one two three four Detroit FC's uh players right here it's closing down so instead of running to that pressure and trapping myself before I get there just cutting the ball back playing back into my center backs being patient so we can circulate the ball and try to find gaps and holes up the uh the left side just like this unfortunately we don't connect there and then here as we lose the ball instead of running towards the ball I need to tuck in tuck in essentially enforce everything out wide that's you know it's pretty much what most teams do tucking inside and forcing this play wide so you can see my positioning I tuck inside now my body position is forcing him this way JP's forcing him this way we're just getting ready to kind of put him to the line and as he keeps on getting closer and closer this is now kind of a cue for me to fly in here and make this a 2V1 and try to win this ball and Conor's in a great space right here just in this pocket and he doesn't have much of an option tries to play it through and Conor's able to win that so I mean that's exactly why I cut the ball back just before that is because you don't want to get in those situations where you get trapped like that now receiving the ball forward taking my touch forward looking forward um I just kind of am looking towards here Kyle and Andre Lewis right here it's not as odd as I thought it was in the game I don't think I saw this player right here but I'm just trying to put it in behind Carol there that Defender who clears the ball just put in a dangerous spot and see if we can get there I don't think that really was on I think I could have made a better decision there um but probably was getting a little impatient especially being down 3-1 and trying to create something which um now you got to be patient if it's not on I got to be smarter with that decision receiving the ball tons of time and space looking forward now here you can see this player is kind of cutting off the line and taking this this space away way because we've played down the line a few times so I'm just going to play in the middle whatever they give you you kind of just go in the opposite direction um unfortunately ball goes out of bounds I think this is a few seconds later the ball comes back to us uh just winning that tackle winning the second tackle and then just get a little bit lucky there just kicking the ball into space for JP ends up going being a free kick for us right there in the corner 67th minute receiving it from cave once again you can see this player rounding his run cutting off the wing and that's fine if they round that run like that it usually opens up this where you can drive inside and play in the center mid and if they round the run the opposite way and force to the line that usually means you can you can go down the line and try to find something towards your Winger or or go that way whatever that whatever the pressure is it usually is opening up another opportunity a little counter attack here and I'm checking my shoulder now to see whether where this Runner is since he's taking his touch kind of more down the line I want to stay towards the center of the field the middle of the field because that's where the dangerous area is and probably where this ball this cross is going to be so I put myself in a really good spot by noticing that run and not you know flying over there and trying to make it a 2V1 just intercept that and then I try to play into uh I think I was playing trying to play JP and just miss that with my left foot but defensively the positioning I think is great now here I was inside I'm checking my shoulder looking out towards my Winger and coming out wide so I can receive this ball once it goes into cave I can be in a good position now to receive this pass as I receive this once again look at this player cutting off the wing towards Rito so I can go opposite and cut inside now against that just doing the opposite of what what's given to you as I drive inside Kyle Edwards now is going to make a great checking movement right into this space right on top of the box so it's going to play Kyle right to his feet to his right foot and uh he does a good job just to keep that ball back in Andre out wide Dorito and just get in the box now this is a good ball from Rito towards the back post now next play 74th minute ball comes into Connor I'm just going to get high and wide try to see this ball and then now looking at this Winger kind of more of an inside position kind of forcing me wide so I'm going to do exactly the opposite now and play down the line into Rito play right into Rito's feet he has a great job here great little nutmeg and he's off this is a great uh sequence from from from Rito there now now gold care from Detroit City bounces all the way back to me I'm just heading this up the field and into one of my Center mids JP who comes and finds Andre who plays me back it's a little bit out wide so I'm just going to take my touch forward look forward and then when it's not on play back to Joe Rice so he can switch it over to this to this opposite side if he wants to um and again just getting high wide waiting to receive this pass as it comes again opening up once again watching the Winger he's cutting off the line now which means we go in towards the center of the field Connor's checking his shoulder he's ready for this so as I'm about to play Connor now I start to see this player and this player start to make moves towards him so I second guess myself hold it and then just play back to my Center back I just wasn't ready just was a second light to play that and they read that so I just wanted to be safe there and play it all the way back receiving this ball from cave checking my shoulder a couple times for that pressure I know I have a lot of pressure and then again just taking a touch in the opposite direction of the momentum so the Winger comes in he starts to starts to fly out has to slow down pause I take my touch inside and then just play it back and continue my run inside into this this area now this is a great ball from Connor riding behind right on the side of the 18 as it comes over I know I have three players in the box outside of my peripherals so I'm just going to try to play this ball hard on the ground into the box um and just goes right into Carol they're uh the guy right on the front post receiving the ball now turning looking forward Rio's got tons of time and space to take on their left wing back 1v1 so I play that ball pretty quickly into him long throw into the box is going to come right back down to me I'm just going to play that ball on my right foot and try to hook in across into the box unfortunately I don't find one of my teammates Rito 1v1 and the side of the field here just popping into this space on the different pages I wanted the ball defeat just pop into space riddle plays this ball and behind it's a good ball just a little bit as I wasn't ready for it and uh I take my touch and it goes out of bounds but it's a good idea from Rito this is I think the first time that we were playing together as him as a Winger he has a right back so we just have to start to learn each other's Tendencies like that now here I'm just checking my shoulder to see where Rito is my Winger so I can I want to stay inside so he can stay outside Andre with a great slit pass and now I don't even have to look I know that he's wide open out here One Touch without even looking I can just play this ball out to him and he can whip in a great ball this is a great cross into the box there and unfortunately Elvis isn't able to get on that or I think he might have glanced that header but great ball from Rito now here's a movement that you'll see a lot from many different teams is a right back I'm just gonna make my run inside so Rito can drop my right winger can drop and receive that defeat so you can see I'm making my run inside and then he can play me and as soon as he plays me in here now look at Rito he's wide open because this forces this left wing back now to step to me so now I can just open up my body with the left foot play right in Dorito it's a little bit slow but this is a good again another really good attacking sequence down this this right side from Rito and another really really good ball another great great cross from Rito our right winger now I'm just right here center of the field you can see Detroit City's really packing in here as they should five minutes left to go in this game receiving this ball and Danny's in a really good spot so I'm just going to one touch it since my back's to go one touch to Danny and hopefully he can get a shot off and uh he does it's a great little move to his right foot and tries to hit it to that far post so it's a good shot from uh from Danny Barrera now receiving this ball from Connor starting to get some pressure in here uh once again he's kind of cutting off the line so I'm going to look centrally take my touch centrally I don't think this passes on I think it's well read I think this is Maxie Rodriguez so I'm just going to play it all the way back to Cave now who can swing it over to the opposite side checking my shoulder once twice three times receiving that pass and then just playing right into Andre Lewis's feet as he's calling for it and then again making my run inside up the field trying to get involved in the attack now 93rd minute now time's starting to click uh tick down Detroit City FC with the goal kick Stein washer clears it up the field and then here is a foul for me I thought that was really really soft that was just on the back of of this player and uh the referee calls me for a foul said I was uh holding him and then last couple minutes of the game counter-attack from Detroit City just working my way backwards now you know they're going to go straight to the corner flag and try to delay try to waste some time here so I'm trying to kick this ball off of a Detroit City FC player and unfortunately ends up still being their ball now ball to me last minute or two just give it to my Center mid have him create something and push up the field and then this is like the last play of the game I have tons of time and space and and this is just it's not a good play tired legs and tired mind and frustrated mind but I'm gonna receive the ball couple shoulder checks I know I got tons of space and drive inside and as I look inside I'm looking for Elvis trying to pop here um but we're on different pages and I don't see that early movement and then as I look away he pops into that space I'm looking for Rito now and I can't find a passing Lane to play in Rito in behind and then I kind of get myself into a pickle here take too many touches and then lose the ball so wasted opportunity at the end um a little frustrated with that play but I think overall I think both as a center mid and that first half I think at a pretty good game and I think in the second half as a right back I thought it was pretty sharp you know and obviously you're gonna have one or two plays where it doesn't work out but unfortunately um for us we lose the skin 3-1 um Detroit city had a good game I thought they created some great attacks uh and even with the penalty save you know they could have been up easily been up 4-1 from us so tough game another tough game we're having a tough season there's no way around that uh but yeah and then here I'm just talking with Dario Suarez my old teammate from uh FC Tulsa Days from 2020 and 2021 so we're just catching up because I haven't seen him in like a year or so and then I think there's no match stats for this game so I hope you guys enjoyed the video and if you did please hit the Thumbs Up Button subscribe I'll see you guys in another video alright guys peace

Channel: Become Elite

Views: 394,872

Keywords: soccer, football, sports, vlog, matt, sheldon, become, elite, professional, pro, footballer, athlete, workout, weight, lift, train, training, saint, louis, fc

Id: 8RK-uZol3zg

Length: 28min 28sec (1708 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 05 2023