Every soccer team does 1v1’s a little differently, but the function remains the same. Like a craftsman superheating gold in a crucible to remove impurities, the soccer drill refines players.
When Oklahoma State brings the goals in at practice, the heat is applied. Players crowds around the shrunken field to watch two players square off.
It’s a simple drill. There is no one to pass to, and only one defender to beat.
In the soccer version of a crucible, there is only pressure. There’s no hiding.
“If you’re one step off, they are going to go right past you,” defender Ally Jackson said.