how2playsoccer.com

Hi everybody,

Here I’ve compiled for you a list of some top soccer books which you may be interested in giving or receiving this Christmas. Don’t worry about postage and them arriving in time, though, because three of them are eBooks! That’s right, three out of the five books are ebooks by the authors of some very well established soccer websites so you can be sure of reliable, well researched and inspiring information. Here’s the list: Merry Christmas!

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1) Total Soccer Fitness: Complete Guide to Soccer Conditioning

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Format: eBook

Author: Phil Davies

Topic: Soccer conditioning

Source: From Total Soccer Fitness which is in the top 1% of all websites!

Buy This Book to Improve Your Fitness and Performance

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2) The Ultimate Guide to Soccer Positions

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Format: eBook

Author: Mirsad Hasic

Topic: Soccer positions

Source: From Soccer-Training-Guide which is in the top 1% of all websites!

Buy This Book to Fully Understand all the Soccer Positions

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3) 250 Award Winning Soccer Drills Software

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Format: Package (Software + PDF + eBook bonus)

Author: Soccer Tutor

Topics: Soccer drills

Source: Soccer Tutor which is in the top 1% of all websites!

Buy This Package to Access Numerous Soccer Drills

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4) Michael Owen’s Soccer Skills

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Format: Paperback

Author: Michael Owen

Topics: Soccer Skills

Source: Michael Owen

Buy This Book to Improve Your Soccer Skills

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5) Keeper

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Format: Paperback (fiction)

Author: Mal Peet

Topics: Goalkeeping and Pyschology

Source: Mal Peet

Buy This Book to Dramatically Improve Your Goalkeeping and Soccer Mentality

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I’m sure these books will be really useful to you for Christmas. Have fun and have a great new year!

Soccer Geek

x

P.S:  Click here to visit the #1 book on my list…

Hi everyone,

It’s long been known that one of people’s main motivating passions in life is the desire for money… and this is no different in the game of soccer. When most people think of money in soccer, they’ll think of the massive salaries that top players command and the huge sponsorship deals they get paid for. Thierry Henry, for example, has been paid the big bucks by Gilette and Renault amongst other companies. David Beckham, another, has recently fronted a marketing campaign by Sharpie and Wayne Rooney is on Nike’s books.

But you don’t have to be a professional player to make money! That’s why I’ve compiled this list today, to show you 10 alternative ways to get rich through soccer. If you like soccer, but don’t believe you’ll get to being a top pro, then maybe some of the following options may interest you for your livelihood. They show you some different routes into soccer without you having to become an actual player. Maybe these will even inspire your future career or just give you something to think about, but either way let’s not waste any more time! Here’s how you can make money with the game we all love….

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Hi everyone,

Recently I’ve published a few Arsenal related posts because I love the club and think that their philosophy can help players to improve and fans to be inspired. Unfortunately I cannot always devote this entire blog to Arsenal though! That’s why today I’ve made a list of 25 Arsenal blogs for you to follow as well. If you read around just a handful of these blogs, I’m sure you’ll be able to immerse yourself in the Arsenal culture and be inspired to learn from their style of play. So give some of these blogs a try and always pay attention to Arsenal…not that I show any bias or anything! Please note that this is a list of 25 usefulwebsites rather than the top 25 websites and they therefore appear in no paritcular order…

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Hi everyone,

This is the second in my series of posts about Arsenal: the greatest club in the universe! Here I’ve made a dream team of eleven of the most famous peopke who support Arsenal. This is just for fun clearly, but take note of these celebrities and give the same support! Obviously I haven’t researched the actual positions of these people, primarily because they probably don’t (all) play soccer themselves, so here goes my own lineup (note that the numbers refer to their squad number…now that’s geeky):

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Hi everyone,

Today I’ve decided to write about the team I support: Arsenal. But it’s not just some piece of pointless bias to promote my favourite club, there are some terrific reasons for following Arsenal and many of them could lead you to IMPROVE YOUR OWN SOCCER PERFORMANCE! So I now encourage you to sit back and see just why watching and learning about Arsenal could be so valuable to you. You don’t have to support them like I do, I’m sure you have your own team to do that with based on your passion or locality, but just taking an interest in them could really pay off.

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Hi everybody,

If you’re still reading this then there’s a fair chance you use Twitter or that you would like to join. Twitter is the thing of the moment and soccer is the theme of this website, so it follows that I’d make a post of some great Twitter users to follow for soccer. You’ll notice that I haven’t included myself (the Soccer Geek) on this list for the sake of impartiality, but if you would like to follow me to join over 1600 people doing the same thing, then here’s my page: http://www.twitter.com/thesoccergeek. Here I give updates on the new content on my blog, news from how2playsoccer.com and occasionally just some general soccer opinions!

Anyway… on with this list. (Just remember that the stats below are correct at the time of writing only)

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Hi everyone,

Today I’ve decided to make a short guide about the top soccer experience days around so that you can get a taste of the soccer fan lifestyle! I have of course done some of these things myself and found them to be VERY fun, interesting and rewarding. So I’ve compiled these things into a 5-long list so that you can cross each one off as and when you do them. If you’ve tried any of these things or look forward to having a go at the others then please feel free to lrave your thoughts in the comment section of this article.

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1) Futebol de Salao

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Brazilian Soccer Schools have coaches who will lay on a session of the five a side soccer game named Futebol de Salao. The game is useful for your close ball skills and footwork and is the platform many famous South American players used to launch themselves into the mainstream game. I’ve not yet experienced Brazilian Soccer Schools myself, though I have played plenty of normal five a side soccer, but the critical acclaim this version of the sport has received from various media channels makes it an excelent option to top this list. If you’re interested, and live in the UK,  I suggest you look at Marks and Spencer Experiences. If you are in the USA, then you can try the International Federation of Futebol de Salao website here.

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2) Soccer Stadium Tour

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If you live in the UK, then such stadiums as Wembley, the Emirates, Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge are available for tours and you can either buy these from the clubs directly or from experience day operators like Virgin. I personally have been on a tour of Arsenal’s ground where they showed me the pitch, the players’ changing rooms (complete with hydrotherapy pool and physio room), the directors’ entrance and box, the press area and various other spots. The other stadiums might not be AS good as the Emirates, but Wembley would probably be the other best bet as it was built by the same company! If you don’t live in the UK, why not book yourself a club visit to liven up your next trip?

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3) Soccer Party

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I must admit it’s been a few years since I went to a soccer party, but when I used to go they were FUN! Without the pressure of playing soccer for an actual team in a match or a tournament, you can take advantage of the relaxed party atmosphere and give a great performance. So witht his day you actually get to play soccer, plus you’ll get loads of food, drink and games…. and that can’t be bad! You could either arrange all this yourself and do a DIY job or you could go to specialised soccer venues like Goals Soccer Centres- a great chain in the UK. I personally play on the Goals small pitches/courts quite a lot and it IS a very good experience. That’s why it’s number three on the list.

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4) Socatots Coaching Sessions

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This experience package gives you five soccer coaching sessions for children between 6 months and school age. As well as being fun, the course develops balance, flexibility, confidence and co-ordination. If you are able to read this post, then unless you’re a genius I’m assuming this experience would not be for you personally! But if you know anyone who would benefit from it then there’s no harm in passing it on- you can get this package from Virgin Experience Days.

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5) Grow Your Own Soccer Pitch

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With some soccer clubs, you can buy a special packs which allow you to grow your own version of their soccer pitch. They’ll give you the seeds, the plastic pitch outline and all the instructional guidelines you need so you can spend the day nurturing the soil and begin growing!

I have not yet had the luxury of this experience, but the fact that both Arsenal and Virgin combine to offer this experience make it a fairly good bet.

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Now that’s the top 5 soccer experience days all listed out, so I hope that one day soon you’ll try to have a go at at least one of them. If you’ve already done them, please tell us about it so we can all benefit!

Have fun,

Soccer Geek

x

Hi everyone,

Here today is a list of the 11 most popular online soccer stores at this moment in time. As usual I’ve ordered the shops by their Alexa traffic ranking- this is a general measure of their popularity. I’ve not included all encompassing sports shops on this count down, so everything you see will be absolutely specific to soccer. One last thing before we get on with it, I just have to say that the Alexa traffic ranks will be correct at the time of writing but not necessarily after that.

So here goes my list if the most popular online soccer stores…

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1) Big Soccer

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Alexa Rank: 10,184

Items: Kit, equipment, DVDs, books and more…

Features: Contests, email newsletter, gift certificates and wish lists

Owned by: Big Internet Group LLC

Website: http://www.shop.bigsoccer.com

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2) Soccer.com

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Alexa Rank: 12,189

Items: Equipment, apparel, accessories and more

Features: Wish lists, links and blog

Owned by: Eurosport

Website: http://www.soccer.com

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3) Pro Direct Soccer

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Alexa Rank: 16,489

Items: Boots, footballs, teamwear and more…

Features: The world’s largest online soccer store!

Owned by: Pro-Direct Soccer

Website: http://www.prodirectsoccer.com

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4) World Soccer Shop

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Alexa Rank: 30,274

Items: Kit, equipment, referee gear, accessories and more

Features: Contests, text alerts and wish lists

Owned by: 365 Inc

Website: http://www.worldsoccershop.com

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5) Footy-Boots

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Alexa Rank: 47,668

Items: Soccer boots/cleats

Features: Articles, news and videos

Owned by: Footy Boots

Website: http://www.footy-boots.com

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6) UK Soccer Shop

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Alexa Rank: 60,563

Items: Soccer shorts with short printing

Features: Available in multiple languages

Owned by: UK Soccer Shop

Website: http://www.uksoccershop.com

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7) Football-Shirts

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Alexa Rank: 67,065

Items: Soccer shirts and clothing

Features: Soccer shirt news, blog and links

Owned by: Football-Shirts

Website: http://www.football-shirts.co.uk

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Soccer Pro

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Alexa: 68,872

Items: Balls, training wear, casual wear, soccer shirts and more

Features: Soccer camps directory

Owned by: Soccer Master

Website: http://www.soccerpro.com

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9) The Football Shirt

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Alexa Rank: 70,952

Items: Soccer shirts

Features: /

Owned by: The Football Shirt

Website: http://www.thefootballshirt.com

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10) Soccernet Store

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Alexa Rank: 148,806

Items: Equipment, accessories, coaching gear, footwear and more

Features: Podcasts, news and scores

Owned by: ESPN

Website: http://www.soccernetstore.com

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11) Soccer Corner

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Alexa Rank: 162,540

Items: Boots, shin guards, referee gear, coaching gear and more

Features: Gift certificates and a lacrosse sister site

Owned by: Angelo’s Soccer Corner Inc

Website: http://www.soccercorner.com

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You might have expected a top 10 for this, but the top 11 was to represent the number of players in a soccer team…if you hadn’t worked that out already! The order of popularity, remember, is based purely on Alexa traffic rank which may change after this post has been published. Anyway, now you know the biggest soccer stores out there so you have all the choice you need when making your next purchase.

Before I go, if you’d like to get more web information (like the traffic stats I’ve included for the above sites) then you can download the Alexa toolbar by clicking here.

Have fun,

Soccer Geek

x

Hi everyone,

Today I woke up and thought about how long a list I could make of all the different ways to score a goal in soccer. Feel free to dip in and out of it or even read it all through and see if there’s anything I’ve missed. You can make your own additions in the comment section at the end of this post.

This list may seem odd, random, bizarre, crazy, fun, geeky or ridiculous…or a combination of all these! But have a read and see what you think when you’ve finished. Until then, you need to get started so here comes my list of 55 possible to score a goal in soccer. Clearly many of them are NOT serious, but some are and the remaining ones may be possible!

1. Score directly from a goal kick
2. Score from a deflection after a goal kick
3. Score from a goalie drop kick
4. Score from a deflection after a goalie drop kick
5. Score from a long kick by a goalie in open play
6. Score from a deflection after a long kick by a goalie in open play
7. Score from a deflection after a goalie throw
8. Score from a deflection after a goalie punch (an incredibly long one!)
9. Score from a deflection after a goalie parry (an incredibly long one!)
10. Score from an initial shot in open play
11. Score from a rebound shot in open play
12. Score from a deflection off an initial shot in open play
13. Score from a deflection off a rebound shot in open play
14. Score from an initial volley in open play
15. Score from a rebound volley in open play
16. Score from a deflection off an initial volley in open play
17. Score from a deflection off a rebound volley in open play
18. Score from an initial header in open play
19. Score from a rebound header in open play
20. Score from a deflection off an initial header in open play
21. Score from a deflection off an initial header in open play
22. Score from an initial flick/poke in open play
23. Score from a rebound flick/poke in open play
24. Score from a deflection off an initial flick/poke in open play
25. Score from a deflection off a rebound flick/poke in open play
26. Score from the kick off with a long shot
27. Score from a deflection off a kick off shot
28. Score from a deflection off a throw in
29. Score directly from a corner
30. Score from a deflection off a corner
31. Score through an opponent’s headed own goal
32. Score through an opponent’s own goal with their boots/legs
33. Score through an opponents chested own goal
34. Score from an opponent’s handled own goal (i.e. by the keeper)
35. Score after a pass has been taken from a penalty (once tried and failed by Henry and Pires)
36. Score from the rebound of a penalty
37. Score from the deflection of a penalty (e.g by the keeper)
38. Score directly from a free kick
39. Score from a deflection off a free kick
40. Score from a rebound off a free kick
41. Score normally from an indirect free kick
42. Score from a deflection off an indirect free kick
43. Score from a rebound off an indirect free kick
44. Score from a deflection off the referee
45. Score if the referee decides to take an initial shoot
46. Score from a deflection off the initial shot of the referee
47. Score from a rebound shot by the referee
48. Score from an initial volley by the referee
49. Score from the deflection off an initial volley by the referee
50. Score from a rebound off a volley by the referee
51. Score if the referee decides to head at goal
52. Score from the rebound of a header by the referee
53. Score from a drop ball
54. Score from the deflection after a drop ball
55. Score from the rebound after a drop ball

Clearly many of these are incredibly unlikely, but possible all the same! Why not see if you can think of anymore to be added to my list of possible ways to score a goal in soccer. I’m sure you can find some other bizarre combinations to add!

Have fun,

Soccer Geek

x

P.S.  DISCLAIMER: This post was included somewhat for its novelty value- I take no responsability for any attempts to score in the above fashions by any of the website users in actual matches!!

Hi everyone,

Today I’ve made a great list for you: the top 25 soccer training websites on the internet. If you’re interested in improving your skills or increasing your understanding of the game, then this list could really help you broaden the range of helpful soccer sites you visit. I’ve ordered these websites according to their traffic and popularity based on their Alexa traffic rank. This is not a foolproof guide, but I have picked 25 of the best sites for you and put them in the correct order at the time of writing.

So let’s get going and find out who is at number one…

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1) Expert Football (Soccer)

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Alexa Rank: 119,165

Topics: Drills, training and freestyling

Features: Community and forums

Owned by: Expert Football

Website: http://www.expertfootball.com

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2) Soccer Training Info

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Alexa Rank: 175,087

Topics: Soccer history, skills, tactics and more…

Features: Special soccer directory

Owned by: soccer-training-info.com

Website: http://www.soccer-training-info.com

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3) Soccer Help

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Alexa Rank: 177,420

Topics: How to articles and advanced soccer tactics

Features: Paid membership option to access premium content

Owned by: soccerhelp.com

Website: http://www.soccerhelp.com

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4) Soccer Tutor

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Alexa Rank: 182,101

Topics: Youth coaching, attacking and fitness

Features: Free newsletter and lifetime membership

Owned by: SoccerTutor.com Ltd: the web’s no. 1 soccer coaching co.

Website: http://www.soccertutor.com

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5) Soccer Training Guide

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Alexa Rank: 205,802

Topics: Skills, drills, formations, nutrition, injuries, tactics and more

Features: Receive two books when you sign up to the free soccer newsletter

Owned by: Mirsad Hasic

Website: http://www.soccer-training-guide.com

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6) Footy 4 Kids

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Alexa Rank: 256,621

Topics: Tactics, coaching, drills and health & safety

Features: Incentive patches to help players improve

Owned by: footy4kids

Website: http://www.footy4kids.co.uk

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7) Soccer Fans Info

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Alexa Rank: 311,601

Topics: Player biographies, conditioning, online games and more

Features: Featured reviews of some of the internet’s top coaching systems

Owned by: Niv Orlian

Website: http://www.soccer-fans-info.com

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Soccer Xpert

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Alexa Rank: 357,392

Topics: Soccer drills, skills, fitness and nutrition

Features: Soccer store

Owned by: soccerxpert.com

Website: http://www.soccerxpert.com

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9) Soccer Drills Tips

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Alexa Rank: 368,988

Topics: Drills, fitness, formations and more

Features: Free download of the Youth Soccer Coaching Manifesto

Owned by: Andre Botelho

Website: http://www.soccerdrillstips.com

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10) Blast the Ball

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Alexa Rank: 457,923

Topics: Kicking technique and training

Features: DVD training package

Owned by: Kick it Up Productions

Website: http://www.blasttheball.com

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11) Total Soccer Fitness

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Alexa Rank: 462,551

Topics: Info for players, parents and coaches

Features: Free email course

Owned by: Phil Davies

Website: http://www.total-soccer-fitness.com

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12) Soccer U

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Alexa Rank: 478,532

Topics: Technical training in soccer

Features: DVD training package

Owned by: SoccerU

Website: http://www.socceru.com

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13) Elite Soccer Conditioning

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Alexa Rank: 488,826

Topics: Conditioning and tactics for soccer

Features: Free monthly emails

Owned by: Taylor Tollison

Website: http://www.elitesoccerconditioning.com

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14) Better Soccer Coaching

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Alexa Rank: 513,838

Topics: Tactics, skills and drills

Features: Free weekly coaching tips by email

Owned by: Better Soccer Coaching

Website: http://www.bettersoccercoaching.com

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15) Soccer For Parents (and Players)

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Alexa Rank: 529,279

Topics: Free soccer drills, soccer history, soccer equipment and more

Features: Free newsletter once per month

Owned by: Randy Gardner

Website: http://www.soccer-for-parents.com

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16) Grassroots Coaching

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Alexa Rank: 606,374

Topics: Animated 3D interactive soccer drills

Features: Free newsletter and premium subscription option

Owned by: Grassroots Coaching

Website: http://www.grassrootscoaching.com

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17) Football England

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Alexa Rank: 747,012

Topics: Articles about English football (soccer)- this is not soccer training, but I think that immersing yourself in soccer info is always helpful for your improvement

Features: Articles from the community and funny soccer pages

Owned by: football-england.com

Website: http://www.football-england.com

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18) My Youth Soccer Guide

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Alexa Rank: 1,048,692

Topics: Soccer gear, history, rules and more

Features: Free newsletter and downloads

Owned by: my-youth-soccer-guide.com

Website: http://www.my-youth-soccer-guide.com

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19) Soccer Drills

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Alexa Rank: 1,092,287

Topics: History of soccer, muscle work, stretching and more

Features: Soccer links directory

Owned by: soccerdrills.com

Website: http://www.soccerdrills.com

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20) Youth Soccer Resources

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Alexa Rank: 1,290,870

Topics: Drills, skills, conditioning and more…

Features: Two free soccer ebooks

Owned by: Soccer Drill Book

Website: http://www.soccerdrillbook.com

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21) Coerver Coaching

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Alexa Rank: 1,420,106

Topics: Skills for players and goalkeepers

Features: Special training DVDs

Owned by: Sportsmethod USA Ltd

Website: http://www.coerver.com

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22) Ask the Ref

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Alexa Rank: 1,720,591

Topics: Questions and answers on soccer rules

Features: As it is a volunteer site, you can contribute too as a writer or graphic artist

Owned by: Mark Sprenger

Website: http://www.asktheref.com

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23) Keeper Skool

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Alexa Rank: 1,805,202

Topics: Interviews and advice for soccer goalies

Features: Free 10 e-course for goalkeepers

Owned by: John Stevanja

Website: http://www.keeper-skool.com

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24) Soccer Website

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Alexa Rank: 2,392,231

Topics: Soccer history, rules, skills and more

Features: Soccer forum and directory

Owned by: SoccerWebsite.org

Website: http://www.soccerwebsite.org

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25) Soccer Universe

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Alexa Rank: 2,569,070

Topics: Nutrition, drills, formations, positions and more

Features: Special, useful resources section

Owned by: Soccer-Universe.com

Website: http://www.soccer-universe.com

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+ In Demand Additions

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Sound Soccer

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Alexa Rank: 1,010,314

Topics: Tactics, drills, motivation and more

Features: Premium membership site

Owned by: Randy Hanson

Website: http://www.soundsoccer.com

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JB Goalkeeping

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Alexa Rank: 2,596,782

Topics: Footwork, positioning, tactics, laws and more

Features: Goalkeeping blog

Owned by: Jeff Benjamin

Website: http://www.jbgoalkeeping.com

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Soccer Coaching Success

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Alexa Rank: 3,102,164

Topics: Soccer coaching resources

Features: Free soccer drills library

Owned by: Randy Hanson

Website: http://www.soccercoachingsuccess.com

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Better Football

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Alexa Rank: 5,260,228

Topics: Psychology, fitness, techniques and more

Features: Free report and interviews

Owned by: Pavl Williams

Website: http://www.betterfootball.co.uk

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Well that’s the list complete- my top 25 favourite soccer training websites placed in order of their popularity according to the Alexa traffic ranking system. If you’d like to get the free Alexa toolbar to get even more web information about these and other sites then please just click here.

In the meantime, I really suggest you visit as many of these sites as possible because they really can help all of our games- each site covers similar topics but from slightly different angles and perspectives so they should all be useful to you. I made the list because I love reading other soccer websites as well as creating my own (and you’ll notice I left off how2playsoccer.com from the list for the sake of impartiality) and maybe you’ll get the same enjoyment.

Have fun,

Soccer Geek,

x

P.S: Please be aware that the Alexa stats change regularly and that these may only be correct at the time of writing. Nevertheless, the list of good sites to visit remains the same, useful and hopefully timeless!