06/26/2026
Coaches and Parents (Share opinions)
One of the biggest things we focused on when coaching soccer was the BIG 5. Todays World Cup games have proven that theory. What is the BIG 5? Glad you asked. I’ll explain, the most important part will be the last one explained.
The first 5 minutes of each half are vital to the tempo and momentum of a team. More often than not, one team is more relaxed when the game starts, and this usually results in an avoidable Goal for their opponent. Typically within the first 5 minutes. This can cause players to go into panic mode early in the game, creating a sense of urgency, when its not necessary. So, start the game with a higher sense of focus, to avoid mistakes and allow your team to build it’s game tempo.
The last 5 minutes of the game! When a team is losing a game you will see a mentality shift with its players. Many times you will see a Coach shift the formation and push the whole team forward in an overloaded offensive posture, with no fear of being scored on again because the are behind. That sense of urgency, and heightened adrenaline, results in more risk taking. Players will leave their “training” and start playing “street ball”. The Chaos it creates can be a lot for the winning team to deal with, and leads to mistakes that could have been avoided by staying composed. There are a lot of goals scored in the last 5 minutes of a game, so it is important for the players and coaches to create that culture of The Big 5.
Last but not least. The Big 5 after a goal: The most vulnerable time during a game is the first 5 minutes after a goal is scored. Statistics show that once a team scores they are more likely to concede a goal within 5 minutes. The adrenaline dump after celebrating the goal causes players to slow down. While the opponent increases in energy with a sense of urgency, its estimated that the mental and physical recovery for the team that scored is between 2-5 minutes. Todays game between Japan and Sweden was a perfect example. The score was 0-0 until 55:10 when Japan scored making it 1-0. Sweden tied the game 1-1 at 61:10 Both teams had opportunities throughout the whole game, but both goals happened within 6 minutes. (Essentially the big 5 theory)
When players understand this concept it changes the game and makes them better players. This can be converted to any sport!!
