Pre intense soccer game preparation strategies

Question

I have an intense soccer game coming on this Sunday, it's now Monday in my time and I have around 6 days to prepare for the game. A couple of things about my current situation which I need your advice on how to best get my body ready:

1. I do jog and the last time I jog was 4 days ago.

2. My last soccer game was 3 weeks ago. That means I'm not in the best condition for the game unless I start some simple training for myself now.

3. There's no game + training from now until that day (Sunday).

4. I'm generally fit.

Now, what I'm trying to do is to best use this 5-6 days period to improve my chance of having a good performance. What would you advice me to do? Which strategies should I use? Any good diet advice?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Consider your team level of play (intro to premier) and your current age. This can make a difference. Consult your doctor before taking advice from the web.

Jogging is great exercise but when I coach, I seldom use it to gauge field fitness. I use it as a warm-up. Football endurance requires intense sprinting with light controlled rests. Plyometric training is something I believe strongly in. Explosiveness is a huge benefit to a player. A generalized week may look something like this. Sunday is your game day so no training that day. The lead up (weekly - not one week) may consist of a rest day on Monday following the game - so no training. Begin with a medium training regimen on Tuesday; intense explosive activities and drills follow on Wednesday and Thursday; followed by light workouts on Friday and on Saturday. Note: these are suggestions only.

Search the web for plyometric training and soccer training graph on the web for more information. Good luck on your match.