Mid-field attack the focus for Burns, Blue

By David Horn

Daily Sports Writer

Competition manifests itself in the middle of things.

Monkey in the middle; Malcolm in the Middle; The Mid-American Conference. For the Michigan men's soccer team, success in their increasingly rigorous schedule will depend on their effectiveness in the middle third of the field.

"We're not making things happen in the middle third quick enough," coach Steve Burns said.

A soccer pitch is generally divided into thirds - the defensive third, the offensive third, and the middle third.

This division creates the opportunity to approach offensive and defensive strategy in a manner similar to hockey, where the blue lines create comparable dimensions for the rink.

In this past Sunday's exhibition against Schoolcraft College, the Wolverines scored two goals - one on a penalty kick, the other on a 40-yard pass by junior Matt Murch to Kevin Robinson that Robinson was able to convert into a goal.

The team is hoping that they can develop a style of play that yields scoring opportunities like Robinson's on Sunday. The Michigan players - many of whom are accustomed to the slower-paced game of club soccer that allows for multiple touches in the middle third - are working this week on forcing their first touch to be an aggressive one to Robinson or sophomore forward Robert Turpin, probably the fastest player on the team.

"We need to look for the first strike," Burns said. "That's the buzzword. We want to play it short, but we need to look for our targets and see our options."

Midfielder Murch is commended by Burns as "a good player with a great awareness of the field." He compares him to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in his ability to know where every player - teammate and opponent - is on the field at all times.

"Some players have a better sense right now," Burns said.

Thus far the Wolverines have not been scorned by their reliance on the more moderate style of play. But as their competition becomes fiercer, the importance of adapting that offensive aggressiveness becomes urgent.

"It hasn't hurt us yet," senior captain Will Purdy said. "But the teams we've played haven't been too difficult. It could be big when we play Penn State.

"We're used to the possessional style of play. The coaches are pushing us to make that first look - that first attack. We're trying to break our habit and adjust to the new style."

The final step in converting these long passes into talleys on the board is in the finishing. The team was chastised throughout Sunday's games by their coaches, urging them to fire off shots from long range - 20-25 yards out.

"We need to build confidence from that distance," Burns said. "We need to realize that good things happen when those shots are taken."

The Wolverines continue to work on their aggressive attack tomorrow against the University of Illinois-Chicago, at 7:30 at Elbel Field.

BRAD QUINN/Daily

The first 200 students to attend Thursday's 7:30 p.m. men soccer game will receive a free blue horn. The loud and obnoxious horns should mean trouble for Illinois-Chicago.