Helping is not helping

Imagine you are defending as usual and there is a situation that as defender you have to make a decision. Helping or not. It is a common situation and the answer is not always the same and has a lot of ifs. Lets see this clip and I will tell you my opinion.

My final thoughts about helping are at the far end of the post, keep going until the end. 

As a reminder, Follow this steps:

1. Take a look at the video:
2. Read and think about the analysis.
3. Match the analysis and the video. Min 1:32

Before getting to this analysis, check the last one. List of player for the Coupe of Nations has been realised and there is a bit a controversion around the player the analysis was about. Let me introduce Nuno Paiva

Clip starts with Sergi Folguera (Calafell Nº83) skating towards 3 and slowing down. We can see how his team mates are positioned; one on the weak side, another on the same side but on 0 and the fourth one at 9. Positioning is key here

The situation is getting hard for Folguera, there is one defender helping. The attacker at 9 moves to 7 offering support at the back corner. Common to realise pressure. Look at Noia’s Nº7, he defends the weak side look where he is. He is open covering and he is not giving his back to the attacker he is side side, looking at the attacker and ball.

Folguera manages to get the ball out of there and pass back to Carles Domenech (Calafell Nº6) who is kind of free from the defender because his defender was helping. This is the first issue due to helping. It is the risk when you help. Domenech starts skating towards 9 and the defender recovers the position. Domech passes to Aleix Marimon (Calafell Nº74) located at the far end of 0. 

Marimon starts skating in a straight line next to the wall. Domenech sets a block. I will say that he tries. When the rocket Marimion starts skating, he does not need a block. When Marimon passes the block, his defender starts chasing and also Domenech’s defender. 

I’m saying chase, yes. They are far behind Marimont. When Marimon gets to 3, the defender from the weak side helps as well. Marimon is next to the penalty cage and he has 3 defenders full focus on him and also the goalie, look at him. The goalie is so ready to take Marimon’s shot.