Attacking from a 3-5-2 Formation

with Jay Entlich,
Columbus State University Women's Head Coach;
2024 Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year (9x total);
2024 Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Champions (15x total);
2024 Peach Belt Conference Tournament Champions (10x total);
2022 Final Four appearance;
2018 USCA Southeast Region Staff of the Year;
2015 NCAA Division II National Runner-Up;2x USCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2005, 2008);
Carolina Courage (Women's United Soccer Association) Head Coach in 2003;
University of Tampa Head Coach from 2000 to 2002;
2001 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year;
played college soccer for Virginia Tech;
United States Soccer Federation "A" license

Jay Entlich shows you how to incorporate the 3-5-2 system of play into your program. He breaks the system down into three phases and explains each in detail before taking the field for a live practice.

You'll learn how to position players based on defensive pressure on the ball. These tactics will give your team options no matter what situation or position they're in.

Throughout Coach Entlich's 3-5-2 practice session, he keeps 22 players participating in the game for the entire practice. He uses "in-game" coaching points to teach individuals and also stops play occasionally to make team tactical points.

Phase I - Getting used to the System of Play for a 3-5-2

Phase I is an unopposed phase, which allows your players to get used to the nuances of positional reads as the game develops. Coach Entlich makes coaching points during play as well as stop action rehearsals as players get used to how they fit in the system.

Phase II - Adds opposition and forces players to think and make decisions on the fly

Phase II adds opposition playing in the same formation, but with an adjustment in the midfield that gives you two options on how to play the system.

One style is more aggressive, using two attacking central midfielders.The other style is more defensive, using two defending central midfielders.

Coach Entlich sets up an activity that helps bring out individual positional play and descriptions so all players can understand their roles and those of their teammates.

Phase III - The real game!

Phase III advances to two teams with goalkeepers in a real game, but with a modification to emphasize the key advantages to using the 3-5-2 system of play. Coach Entlich has players work on playing through the center of the field so when one team is in possession, the other team must have two of their center mids kneel down. This creates an advantage and promotes success in the attack. Your players will absorb and adapt to the formation while being totally engaged in playing the real game.

This video is a complete dissection of the 3-5-2 style of play and a step-by-step method to incorporate it into your program. Your team will learn the expected runs of all supporting players, how to make decisions on the fly, combining to beat defenders and how to place the ball into dangerous areas.

68 minutes. 2016.