Braga Visit TW Academy in Belfast
We were pleased to welcome Portuguese side, SC Braga, to Belfast over the Easter period. My good friend & Braga's Assistant Academy Director, Hugo Vicente, travelled with his U13 side. They were taking part in a tournament in Dublin. We organised for them to travel up to see Belfast & play TWAcademy.
SC Braga U13 side that drew with TWAcademy.Org 1-1 in Belfast
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga is commonly known as Sporting de Braga or simply Braga. They play at the AXA Stadium which is also known as ‘The Quarry’ or the ‘Tool Box’. This is due to the design where the stadium is built inside a Quarry with cables attaching the 2 main stands. The ground was built for UEFA Euro 2004.
Braga had been known as Arsenal do Minho and changed their kits from green and white hoops to their Arsenal style red in 1935. This is due to their coach, Jozsef Szabo, visiting and watching Arsenal at the old Highbury ground.
The emblem of Sporting de Braga is the city of Braga’s shield with Mother Mary and baby Jesus. On the top of the emblem is the golden Mural Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube de Braga on it. Many fans of Braga have said that Mother Mary gives them luck. The fans of Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their team home kit that resembles that of English club Arsenal.
After finishing runners up in the Portuguese league during season 2009 / 2010 they qualified for the knock stages of the Champions League. They defeated Celtic and Sevilla to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League for the very first time.
Youth Set Up
Braga provides teams from 7 / 8 year olds and above. The younger section of the Academy will train 3 times per week along with a match. They concentrate heavily on ball mastery and 1 v 1 duels on defence and attack.
Players also receive homework so they really develop and are confident using both feet. Braga will work closely with a number of other local clubs. They play in a number of tournaments so they are playing against the best.
They will play small sided games on smaller pitches and with a smaller ball at the young age. Their U13′s play 11 v 11 on a full size pitch. I suppose one of the problems is with the local leagues that they are forced to play in. Some opposition are very poor.
As the players get older they will start to train more. The U19′s for example are in every day. They also have players from all over the world. The nationalities in the squad asides from Portuguese include; German, Greek, Brazilian along with a number of players on trial from Africa.
The U19′s train at the old Braga stadium which is a great facility. The Spain National team used this as their base during Euro 2004. They also play their home games here. An athletic club also operate out of the same base. During the week that we were in Braga there had been a lot of rain so the training was transferred to 2 full size 3G pitches that are at the same location. They are Council run but a great facility to fall back on.
Belfast Welcome
MLA, Chris Lyttle, from Alliance Party welcomes SC Braga to Belfast at the NI Assembly
We organised a coach to transfer the players, staff & parents of SC Braga from their Dublin base to Belfast. Chris Lyttle, MLA, from the Alliance Party organised a tour around the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. This is were the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The players & coaches enjoyed the tour & were able to get some great photos.
It was also superb to welcome a good 'Twitter' friend of mine called Liam. He flew in from England to enjoy the full day...showing a real hunger to learn & develop as a coach!
After the tour it was back on to the Braga coach & transfer to Belfast Boys' Model School to play the challenge game at the fantastic venue of Mount Pleasant on the 3G pitch.
Braga playing in their famous red tops while TW Academy turned out in their bright orange tops like the Dutch! It was a very well contested game of football. The technical ability from both sets of players on show was impressive. TW Academy started well & were very disciplined & played some attractive football.
Very secure at the back with Matthew & Jamie having excellent games in front protecting the back 4 it allowed freedom for the attacking players to try & create opportunities. It was Curtis Ritchie who controlled the ball toward the end of the first period & beat the Braga defender. Stephen Wilson then made a great run from the right & when Ritchie weighted the perfect ball Wilson made no mistake with the finish. What a goal it was going in off the underside of the crossbar! TW Academy 1-0 SC Braga.
The side that played SC Braga in Belfast
The second period was much more even. Braga started creating more opportunities. It was a pass that was made for the Braga forward that the defenders thought was off side but he didn't stop & put the ball in the back of the net to equalise, 1-1.
Both teams in the last period defended well. The central defenders of TW, Nathan Kerr & Louis Simpson, made it difficult for Braga to break them down. The final score was 1-1. The parents & supporters enjoyed a very entertaining game. What an experience for our boys, & myself, to prepare & play against a top European Academy! It was evident how developed the Braga players were & how comfortable they all are on the ball. It was a nice test for us.
Hugo Vicente, Assistant Academy Director of Braga, commented; 'I was very impressed with your team considering this was your first game together with a new squad & you only have access to the players once a week. That is a testament to the work you & Lee carry out. Imagine what you could achieve if you had them 3-4 times per week what you could achieve!'
Watch the match highlights by clicking here!
Player & Coaches Clinic
After the game the boys from both teams transferred to Belfast Boys' Model School for refreshments before they returned to Dublin. We supplied all the players with a goodie bag thanks to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. I also included a copy of my '1-on-1 Coaching The Secrets To Improve ALL Football Players - GUARANTEED!' book for each of the players.
Hugo Vicente shares the methods of SC Braga - fascinating night!
Our players remained with a number of coaches for the player development & coaches clinic. Nigel Best from the Irish Football Association was pleased to award 5 credits for coaches CPD. Hugo Vicente led the clinic assisted by the Braga Director of Goalkeeping, Ricardo.
Below is the report of the clinic from my Academy Assistant, Lee Hodge...
Aims
- Develop players with initiative and top technical ability
- Develop players’ able understanding, analyse and decide with quality in the game. – (Game based training helps develop intelligent players so they always include defenders)
- Develop players with the right mentality and ambition to reach the 1st team and to play at top level football
- Be a Community Partner (i.e. help them with school work, social lives etc.)
What they want to develop
- Develop players through a clear vision
- Create players in a team context and not teams (focus on individuals)
- Specific contents for each age group, to develop the player in each dimension; Technical, Tactical, Mental and Physical
- Creating a demanding environment but fun environment and ensuring the sessions are age appropriate
(We need to put ourselves in the players place – what do they want?)
Main focus is on individual development – Play players up if required. They are willing to lose to win in a few years’ time when it matters.
They believe when working with children it is essential to show you care. Then they will be willing to learn – BE THEIR FRIEND!
- Focus on technical ability
- Focus on speed
- Focus on aggressiveness
- FORGET ABOUT SIZE
The club also do one on one training with each player every week to improve these areas.
When the teams are playing the coaches limit the players when they don’t have the ball but not when they have the ball.
At the club they strongly believe in having a club vision. Therefore, they promote coaches after training to sit together and discuss the vision and develop ideas on how to achieve the clubs aims.
Hugo & Ricardo work with the players while educating the coaches
Specific Contents
Technique
- Dribbling
- Protect the ball
- Moves
- Shooting
- Receiving and Control
- Short Pass
- Long Pass and Crosses
- Heading
- Other Behaviours
Defensive Techniques
- Closing Down
- Tackling
- Charging
Under 9’s Syllabus
- Technical development is top priority
- Usage of weaker foot – condition games
- Rules of the game
- Basic tasks on different phases of the game
- Learning the game principles
- Learning the specific playing principles of the club: Focus on progression and closing down
- Same percentage of playing time for each player
- Players play in every position
- 7v7 at this age group
Under 13’s
- Technical development
- Weaker foot
- Pre specialisation: Players play in two or three positions according to their characteristics
- Specific game principles based on the way we play
- Percentage of usage time is merit based: According to the balance between quality and commitment
- Control the game – don’t lose the ball
(Results are important as the games are reported in the papers).
Session Model
1st Phase – They do not believe in warm ups. Therefore they will play games such as tag.
2nd Phase – 1v1, 2v1, 2v2, 3v1
3rd Phase – 4v2, 4v3, 4v4, 5v2, 5v3, 5v4, 6v3, 6v4
4th Phase – 6v4, 7v5, 7v6
Final Phase – 7v7 with no coach intervention
Liam filmed some of the sessions in the clinic...the links are below;
The European Approach
After the clinic Hugo & Ricardo took the time to speak with coaches. This is typical of the European approach. They don't look at their watch or think I'm not being paid for this! Remember they had departed Dublin at 7.30am & were still talking to coaches well after 9pm! We got cleared up & drove them to Dublin. Again many people would think that they don't want to drive to Dublin at that time as they wouldn't be home to after 2am...take 4 hours...spend money on petrol. For me? Easy decision, I jump at it. Not just because Hugo is a great friend of mine & puts himself out for me when I visit him but I never stop learning. In a car for a couple of hours with top European coaches develops me as well!
Can we change a culture here? Let's stop looking at our watches & thinking what's the point...let us think can we develop & continue learning as coaches? If it is the latter join me on my journey...
Thank you...
Massive thank you to SC Braga, Hugo, Ricardo, it's coaching team, players & parents for offering us such a wonderful opportunity to play against them. Thank you to my players & parents for supporting the event. Massive thank you for the coaches that attended - especially Liam from England! What can I say about my team of coaches? Lee Hodge my assistant that worked so hard in the lead up to the event & on the day. Frank McLean who did referee & loads of jobs for me. My young coaches of Craig & Brad who assisted on the day with set up & filming. I'm sure I have forgotten someone so very sorry if I have...of course the support from the rest of the team that kept our weekly centres operating on the day. My wife & kids deserve a massive thank you for their hard work & organising they did on the day & lead up to the event.
Professionally I would like to thank Chris Lyttle MLA from the Alliance Party. Darren Nixon & Belfast Boys' Model School. Grounded Coffee for supplying sandwiches & Julie from the Mace at Greenway, Cregagh for supplying refreshments. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board for the welcome packs for the Braga kids. Again I hope I haven't left anyone out!
Dublin Tournament
For those interested in watching some footage from the Dublin tournament that Braga took part in I have included links below. They defeated Brondby from Denmark 6-0 to help progress to the semi finals. They faced a very talented Arsenal side. Enjoy!
