FOOTBALL OVERVIEW

We seek the most high-level players with a professional mentality that will sacrifice and dedicate themselves to achieve their optimal playing potential.

Our player development objective is to close the gap between American soccer and European football.

We prioritize training high-level technical skills and developing individual tactics to achieve mature individual and team tactical play.

We teach and train technical skills giving players repetition, conditioning, and applying them into actual game situations, so it becomes instinctive in all three-thirds of the field.

We emphasize field vision/awareness, anticipation skills, body position, movement away from the ball, and the first touch. Hence, players learn how to read the game for 90-minutes, become self-thinkers, problem solvers, think quickly, and be productive with technical skills in tight areas of the field under pressure.

As our players improve individually, our staff can continue to teach mature European high-level tactics.

Student-athletes progress in academics and football development at the same time. The experience of training and playing professional games in Europe, while earning a college degree and UEFA coaches license, will give our student-athletes a great foundation to a successful coaching career.

The principles and philosophy of the Club are dictated by talent and mentality.

Once the players with talent and the right mentality are identified, other areas of the game come into play: attitude, fitness, physique, football knowledge, and the ability to learn.The Club has a strong commitment to developing talent to enhance the player’s natural ability and to provide the opportunity to play at the highest possible level.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Good character and respect will be expected from all players, coaches, and other staff members to forge a common bond in working towards a common goal. The Club will work hard to promote the image of football and ensure all members are proud to wear the Mendoza United badge. Mendoza United is dedicated to delivering a pathway for talented footballers to maximize their progression both on and off the field.

Coaching Philosophy

Players must be technically proficient at dealing with the ball in any area of the pitch. Tactically they must become aware of various systems of play and understand the strengths and weaknesses within each system. Physically players will need to become complete athletes to deal with all aspects of the modern game. Psychologically they will need to have a balanced view of success and failure, too high never too low so that at under U23 and 18 levels, they will have the confidence to deal with the stress of playing to win week in week out.

A – ability to play at a high tempo

D – deal with the stress of playing to win

A – athletic potential

P – play out from the back

T – through the thirds

A – an efficient passing based game

B – balanced view of success and failure

L – learn to receive and play in tight areas

E – excellent technical ability

The Academy will look to identify and recruit the best local players and develop them through a comprehensive coaching and learning program to create players capable of adapting to the modern game at the highest level. The Academy will endeavor to develop young people not only technically efficient footballers but also well-rounded individuals who are capable of succeeding in life should football not become a realistic target.

The ultimate vision of the Academy program is to provide the individual with the opportunity of achieving success at the highest level. The highly professional staff have contacts and pathways for all players in Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Portugal, the UK, Scandinavia, and other European countries.

Small-sided games 4v4, 7v7, 9v9, 11 v 11
These games will have conditions of one, two, three touches to allow players to develop field vision, field awareness, anticipation skills, the first touch, movement off the ball, individualism, creativity, and self-thinkers.
While individuals may display qualities that are suited to playing positions, it is preferable to allow players to develop by playing in several different roles.
When playing small-sided games, players will be expected to display qualities to suit their various roles.