OSATv TouchLine -- 180 Lombardi & Medeiros

OSATv TouchLine host, Anthony Totera, interviews Joey Lombardi & Sam Medeiros -- Ontario U16 Girls Team Head Coach and Assistant Coach respectively -- on the Team's 2011 March Break Tour to Spain; the experience of playing teams from a football "culture" which is home to the European and World Champions with teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Villarreal; their pride in the team's performance, including a 3-2 come-from-behind win against a tough Barcelona FC side; Team Ontario's strong possession play and their ability to organize tactics around defending, pressing, etc.; the role of Ontario's Regional, Provincial and National Team Centre (NTC) and World Cup Team programs in developing the Women's game in Canada; the importance of certified and qualified coaches in evolving the game in Canada; the importance of competition against teams from countries like Spain, who represent the current benchmark for the technical side of the game; the role of trust and respect between coaches and players in allowing the players the freedom to be creative and letting the game be the teacher; the importance of staff and players working together as a team towards a common goal in reaching higher levels than would be possible playing as individuals; the Europeans' football "culture" reflected in their use of game "savvy" versus the North American concept of "fair play"; the differences in players' drive to excel coming from countries with a football "culture" where soccer excellence can ...

Related : Football Tactics