Our striker presses the centre-back but never blocks midfield

The striker needs to pressure the centre-back while taking something else away. A simple reference is: can you press the ball and hide the central midfielder? That normally means a curved run and a body angle that encourages play towards one side. The second striker or nearest midfielder then prepares for the pass you are showing. If the striker runs straight at the defender, the midfielder remains visible and one easy pass removes the press. Use a build-up game where the defending team scores for regaining high, but the attacking team scores an extra point if it finds the central midfielder through the first line. The striker quickly sees why the angle matters. At U13, pressing should not be measured by distance covered. It is useful when the run affects both the ball carrier and the next option. The angle should guide the ball towards the area your team is ready to defend. That may be outside, or it may be towards the second centre-back if the other striker and midfield have closed the next options. Agree the intended direction first, then judge whether the curved run supports it.