Brazil Still Leads the Way with Dribbling Skills

The recent international game between Brazil and England once again illustrated the advantage that Brazil has over it's opponents. As defences in the modern game become much more organized and discplined in their approach, the skill of dribbling plays an increasing role as an important tactic to create goalscoring opportunities. The Brazilian Coach, Dunga, was quick to pinpoint an area that England must improve upon if they have aspirations of relistically challenging for the World Cup in 2010.

"England must learn how to dribble through us, that's what you have to do," - Dunga

Head of Brazilian Soccer Schools Richard Sutherland said: "We're still in the early stages of our work, but the game between Brazil and England demonstrated that whilst Fabio Capello has improved his side ten-fold, particularly in terms of discipline, they still trail behind Brazil in terms of technique."A basic requirement of the game is the ability to dribble with the ball, something the game of Futebol de Salao develops, but when England's passing game faltered they had no plan B."

Read Complete Article

The great Brazilian player Kaka is a great example of what is possible when players have great technical ability to run at defences. He is in my opinion a great inspiration to younger players that hours and hours of diligent practice can  pay off and allow you to play the game with imagination, creativity and flair!

 Kaka Dribbling - Watch Video

The Brazilian Way - the differences in the development approach

Carlos Alberto, captain of Brazil's world cup team of 1970, recently gave his thoughts on the different development paths of young English players and those from Brazil. The recent friendly between Brazil and England provided Carlos with a great opportunity to contrast the footballing style and philosophy of both nations. Most telling was the following quote by Carlos

"It all comes down to young players and how you develop them," he said. "Players must be able to control, pass and dribble, and these are problems that can't be remedied quickly. It needs a long-term plan and to develop such things at a very young age, something that England, as well as many other countries, lacks."

A full version of the Carlos Alberto interview can be read below

Read complete article

BSS Burlington A Growing Force

We would like to thank all our players, parents and staff for a very successful first year in Canada. Enclosed below is an article that appeared on the main Brazilian Soccer school website in the UK. Once again, we thank you for your continued support.

Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) Burlington continues to expand in Canada, commanding the full-time services of Director of Coaching Ian McClurg.

The centre is a sub-franchise within the master franchise for the whole of Canada and it is already playing a crucial role in raising the profile of the world's largest football coaching organisation. Ian has recently added a further training base to the centre's roster to ensure that the demand is catered for, and the interest continues to grow as more and more children in the region aspire to follow in the footsteps of Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka and many more Brazilian football icons.

BSS was founded in England in 1996 by Simon Clifford following a research trip into the secrets of Brazil's success, and the main component he imported to the UK was Futebol de Salao.Played with a size two, weighted football on a basketball-sized court, Futebol de Salao is proven to improve overall technique, and the likes of Micah Richards, Theo Walcott, John Bostock and Wayne Rooney, who have all benefitted from the BSS syllabus, only adds to the organisation's reputation.BSS Canada joins other overseas centres in nations such as Singapore, Thailand, Australia, America, Finland and Nigeria, seeing over one million children training on a weekly basis.

Head of BSS, Richard Sutherland, said: "It's testament to the hard work of all of the staff involved with BSS Burlington that they are already adding new venues and sessions."The initial stages of raising the profile of BSS in any given area is the most crucial, and Ian and his team have hit the ground running."We have high hopes for the operation in Canada, and are confident that all the children that join the centre will benefit both in footballing and personal terms."

The Reason that Brazilian Soccer Schools Exists

Enclosed is a great article that represents the impact that our Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) programs can have on the individual players that attend and also their families. As coaches, we all have a tremendous responsibility to ensure that every child in our program gains confidence, not only in a football sense but also as young people.







Simon Clifford, fonder of Brazilian Soccer Schools, offers his thoughts on a letter received from one of our parents in Portsmouth, England.

"Since we began in 1996 we have been striving to raise the level of football, and moreover football coaching, in the UK and around the globe using one fundamental point made by Juninho as our underlining principle.The then Middlesbrough midfielder stressed the need for individuals to aspire to be better people first, and that improvement in one's game would follow."

This was also a notion that the many former greats BSS founder Simon Clifford met with during several research trips to Brazil pertained to, including Pele, Zico, Rivelino and Socrates also highlighted.BSS franchisees and coaches around the globe have a unique opportunity to positively impact on young people's lives whatever their ambition. And it is for this reason that we were touched to hear of a letter BSS Portsmouth franchisee and head coach Leon Edwards received from John Lindley, the father of a member of the centre.

Whilst serving in the Military Police, John was attacked by four drunken men, an incident that left him registered disabled, in constant pain and with mobility issues. In an instant, avid sports fan John went from representing the Service in football, squad, tennis and boxing to being restricted to only minimal movement. When John's son, Andy, began expressing an interest in football, his father - unable to play or coach him himself - looked around for sessions that would cater for those new to the game without making them feel inferior. Having happened upon his local BSS centre in Portsmouth, Andy joined and hasn't looked back, both in terms of enjoyment and his development.Most poignantly in John's letter, however, was his comments on Andy's progression off-the-field. His dad commented on the increased confidence Andy now has as well as a new-found self-belief, highlighting the way in which each child is taught to beat their own targets rather than of the groups.

Whilst we as an organisation hope to transform the face of football, we also look to help each young person that attends our sessions develop away from the pitch. By promoting a positive attitude, regardless of abilities or backgrounds, we hope to inspire each player to follow and succeed in whatever they wish, and at the same time boost their confidence and self-belief. You can have the most technically-gifted player in the world but without the right attitude, the right beliefs and the right ethos, that talented may go wasted. Youngsters such as Andy can shine if they are given the support and encouragement they need from those around them, and our coaches, franchisees and players have a great opportunity to do this. Regardless of our numerous locations around the world, everybody involved with BSS can be reminded of why they got involved with the organisation in the first place, and can also feel proud of their ongoing work, from the letter below.

A copy of the letter received is included below:

Mr Simon Clifford

Dear Sir,



I would like to take this opportunity to express how Leon and his team at the Brazilian Soccer School in Portsmouth have helped not only my son, Andrew Lindley, but in turn the impact it has had on the rest of my family.Approximately seven years agowhilst serving in the Military Police, I was attacked one evening in the line of duty by four drunken men. As a result of that evening, it left me registered disabled with mobility issues and constant pain. Prior to the assault, I was extremely fit, representing the service at football, tennis, squash and boxing. As you can imagine, going from being a fully active person to relatively inactive was a very hard time and very difficult to accept and adjust.My son Andy showed a real passion in wanting to play football however I could see from watching him that he had limited skills and ability despite his enthusiasm. I wanted to improve his ability as all dads would however due to my disablement I was unable to.

This then left me with a dilemma as I wanted Andy to attend football coaching however knowing his ability, I didn't want to place him with a team or on a coaching course with kids of the same age but of higher ability.The reason I write Simon is to express how attending Brazilian football training has altered my son's whole perspective. For the first time in years Andy has found a great passion in playing football. This was primarily down to the friendliness of all staff when he first attended a few months ago. From the outset Leon, Louis, Lewis and Jamie all made both Andy and I feel extremely welcome.

Since Andy has been attending the football training, he is a changed lad. Firstly his football skills have increased two fold, however what is greater than that is that he has found personal confidence and self-belief in himself. This is all a result of attending Brazilian football. What is great to see is the constant encouragement throughout training regardless of ability and that they have created this playing atmosphere where all players respect one another in a fun and learning environment without arguments and outbreaks.

Leon and his team have helped Andy enormously and although he is learning to become a better footballer, he has also started to come out of his shell and become a better lad. My wife and I both agree that the transformation in him has been extraordinary.I have always felt very guilty that due to my accident I can't do the things with Andy such as having a kick-about on the local field etc. That was until recently. I try and watch Andy play football as much as I can as he loves it when I support him. It's also a great opportunity in seeng him doing something he loves so muchwith a smile on his face in such a friendly atmosphere.Can I please ask that you pass on my sincere thanks to Leon, Louis, Lewis and Jamieas together they have made a real difference in Andy's life. The lads are always polite and very professional in what they do, however above all that it is so clear that they have a real belief and passion in teaching the kids.

Yours sincerely,
John Lindley