Watching Soccer on Television:  
​What to Look For
​
In addition to watching the goals, here are a few suggestions on what to focus on:  technical skills, team shape and ball movement.  There's more to the game then fancy haircuts, colorful boots and goal celebrations.

The Technical Skills
First and foremost watch the technical skills and ability to control the ball with the first touch.

First Touch  
Watch the players when they receive the ball.  Look how they put it into the space they want -- away from pressure, away from the defender and typically in the direction they want to pass it.

Before a player receives the ball they know where they want to play it.  It's about field awareness.

Most important, the touch is not always forward.  Young players always want to take the touch toward the goal.  

Remember, the goal will always be there for the entire game.  You need to figure out the puzzle on how to get the ball toward the goal when there are obstacles in front of you.

Two Touches
​Count the number of touches a player takes before they pass.  Fast play is dependent upon moving the ball with two touches.  The first touch is the key and the second touch is a pass.

Watch how the central midfielders and defenders take one and two touches on the ball.  

Attacking Play

Wing Play
Watch the outside midfielders or wingers play wide.  They are responsible for spreading the width of the field when the team has possession.  They are typically the one v one players capable of creating defensive havoc.  They pass and move constantly.

They have many options including crossing the ball into the box for forwards to run onto it, going one on one and looking for wall passes (give and go)  

​And they get back on defense!!

Forwards and Attacking Play  
Watch as the forwards look to attack and find space, especially behind the defenders.  Midfielders and other position players are looking to play the ball into open space.

Also watch the forwards when their team is not in possession of the ball.  They act as the first defender putting pressure on the other team's defenders to get the ball.

Soccer Television Stations

There are several stations in the Washington DC area to watch soccer including:

MSNBC:
Choices include watching full matches on saturday or sunday mornings or the Premier League Match of the Day with highlights of the days games -- typically aired late saturday night or sunday morning -- just record it.

BEIN:
German Bundeslieg, Spanish La Ligue and Italian Serie A.

They too have full matches and highlights of the matches.  Check the guide for air times and record it.

FSN 1 and 2:
​Show international matches, FA Cup games and sometimes replay German and Premier League matches

Team Shape

Players Move as the Ball Moves
Players are looking for space on the field.  As the ball moves, defenders move to track the ball.  This creates space for the team with possession.  

Midfielders, the engines of the team, recognize the space and move to it to engineer the play and act as the catalyst.

Watch closely: it is not often you see the central midfielders dribbling the ball.

Team Shape
Watch as teams move in a cohesive unit with and without the ball.  Spreading wide when in possession and consolidating without the ball.
​
Ball Movement
Watch how the defenders and midfielders switch the ball from one side to the other.  Under pressure, they might go back to the goalie or one-time it back to the player they received the ball from.

But frequently, they will receive the ball and pass it to the other side of the field.  It forces the defense to move and as a result space is created.  They are rotating the ball away from pressure and making the field bigger to create space, gaps, openings and attacking possibilities.