Soccer Psychology

Technique, speed, and tactical execution are crucial components of winning soccer, but it is mental toughness that marks out the very best players - the ability to play when pressure is highest, the opposition is strongest, and fear is greatest. Top players and coaches understand the importance of sport psychology in soccer but how do you train your mind to become the best player you can be? Soccer Tough demystifies this crucial side of the game and offers practical techniques that will enable soccer players of all abilities to actively develop focus, energy, and confidence.

Anson Dorrance has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under Dorrance’s leadership at the University of North Carolina (UNC), the Tar Heels women’s soccer teams have won 22 of the 37 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships with a .881 winning percentage over 40 seasons. He has led his team to a 101-game unbeaten streak, and his players have won 20 National Player of the Year awards.

When Trent Cotchin was handed the reins of Richmond Football Club's team in 2013, he was a 22-year-old star, skilful and fearlessly hard at the ball. Coming off a Brownlow Medal-winning season, he embraced the captaincy and continued his quest to get the most out of himself for the benefit of the club. Yet by the end of 2016, Trent was suffering from serious self-doubt. With nothing to lose and facing down his own fear of failure, Trent put himself on the line in a new way.

Soccer is the world's most popular sport, inspiring the absolute devotion of countless fans around the globe. But what is it about soccer that makes it so compelling to watch, discuss, and think about? Is it what it says about class, race, or gender? Is it our national, regional, or tribal identities? Simon Critchley thinks it's all of these and more. In his new book, he explains what soccer can tell us about each, and how each informs the way we interpret the game, all while building a new system of aesthetics, or even poetics, that we can use to watch the beautiful game.