Blogs - This Week In Soccer

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Fun Soccer Variations for 5-Year-Old Players

Soccer is a fantastic way for young children to develop physical skills, social abilities, and a lifelong love for the game. For 5-year-olds, it’s important to keep games simple, fun, and engaging, with plenty of space for creativity and spontaneity. Here are several variations of the traditional soccer game that are perfect for young players. […]

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Analytics

The Big Data Game Plan

Coaches once relied on instinct, intuition, and a well-worn notebook. Today, every sprint, pass, and press can be tracked, analyzed, and visualized in real time. Modern soccer isn’t just played on the pitch—it’s played on screens, in code, and inside algorithms. Rein and Memmert’s 2016 landmark paper in SpringerPlus marks a turning point: soccer has […]

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Strategy

The Tactical Shift That Redefined Spanish Soccer

If you followed LaLiga in the early 2010s, you’d recognize a pattern: nearly every team lined up in the classic 4-2-3-1. Double pivots in midfield, a creative “10” pulling the strings, and wingers tucking inside. But something dramatic happened between 2012 and 2021. Coaches started abandoning the 4-2-3-1 for the more compact and balanced 4-4-2. […]

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Strategy

Weather-Proof Your Game

Why did our legs feel heavy today?” If you’ve ever said that after a sweltering away match or a trip to high altitude, you’re not imagining it. A new synthesis of 21 real-match studies on professional soccer reveals a clear pattern: heat, humidity, and altitude alter how players move—and smart teams adjust their pace to protect […]

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Culture

Winning Fans, Not Just Matches

Are you following up on Facebook? This post tells you why you should! It’s matchday—but before the whistle blows, millions of fans have already watched the lineups on Instagram, retweeted the club’s hype video, and dropped fire emojis under a TikTok goal montage. Today, the real pregame battle isn’t just on the field—it’s online. A […]

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Strategy

When Controlling Space Wins Matches

Every coach knows the feeling: your team’s formation looks solid, but somehow the opponent always finds room to play between the lines. They seem to “breathe” the game differently—shifting, anticipating, creating passing lanes where none should exist. What’s happening isn’t luck. It’s geometry. A groundbreaking study from researchers at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Space and […]

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Health

Science and Strategies for the Modern Game

Soccer transcends cultures and continents, uniting people in their love for the sport. Beyond its appeal as a spectator sport, soccer has evolved into a scientific discipline, with researchers continuously exploring ways to enhance performance and reduce injuries. This week’s review delves into the intersection of science and soccer, drawing from the latest research and […]

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Analytics

How Cognitive Science is Revolutionizing Soccer Training

In recent years, soccer has evolved into a sport where the mental prowess of players is as critical as their physical skills. Today, the best soccer players are not only athletic marvels but also cognitive athletes who make split-second decisions under tremendous pressure. This shift highlights the growing importance of cognitive science in training elite […]

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Development

How Simple Cues Shape Young Soccer Players’ Kicks

Every coach has yelled it: “Keep your eye on the ball!” But what if that classic advice is actually hurting performance—especially for young players? A new study in Scientific Reports by Golnoosh Abdi and colleagues (2025) tackled this age-old question head-on. Researchers worked with 112 girls aged 10–12, none of whom played organized soccer, to […]

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Fun Soccer Variations for 5-Year-Old Players

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