This is part two of our four part series on how to learn how to prepare for difficult opponents based on the US National Soccer Team’s World Cup draw. If you missed part 1, check it out here. In short, the US National Team ended up with three very difficult games to start the World Cup, and we are analyzing the way the US team is reacting to this situation and what we can learn from their reaction. We determined there are four things we can learn from the US National Team in this situation.
The official ball of the World Cup, the Adidas Brazuca World Cup Soccer Ball
1. Treat it as an opportunity
2. To be the best, you’ll have to beat the best
3. Create a game-plan
4. Use the conditions to your advantage
This week we’re going to talk about item #2 – “To be the best, you’ll have to beat the best”
One of the goalkeepers for the US National Team, Nick Rimando was interviewed about the difficulty of their draw, and he said the following – “We definitely have a tough group, but again, in the World Cup, you’re going to play the teams that deserve to be there.” He understands that in any tournament, especially a tournament with a qualifying process, the teams that are there will be good teams. Especially once you get past the qualifying rounds, the teams that aren’t very good will have already been eliminated. You need to walk into the tournament prepared for tough competition.
In addition, any time you play in a tournament, your goal should be to win the tournament. If you aren’t trying to win, why are you there? You need to understand that to win a tournament, you’re going to have to beat some good teams. It doesn’t really matter if you play them early in the tournament or late in the tournament, you’re going to have to win some tough games to be a champion.
This item is really about mindset and mental preparation. As a soccer player, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to face some difficult opposition. There’s no reason to be scared of difficult opposition. Instead, use the realization that you will have some challenges ahead to motivate you to work and prepare harder. When you play a tough team, it’s your chance to test and see if your hard work and preparation really paid off. Welcome the chance to face difficult opponents, because those situations give you the chance to improve yourself. When your mind is in the right place, and your body is prepared by your training, it shouldn’t really matter who you face or when you face them, because that matchup is just another stop on your road to being a champion!
Next week – Prepare your gameplan
Photo Source – Brondby Stadium Panorama by Stig Nygaard, Adidas Brazuca by Damianvila
