How do I stop players from taking on one too many opponents?

How do I stop players from taking on one too many opponents in a one v one situation - my players insist on trying to go through too many players.

It depends on how old your players are. This sounds like a problem of a youth trainer but if it is youth players, then the question is whether this is a problem or the nature of the beast. Little kids like to show off their skills, play with the ball and least of all, pass it around. Ball skills are something we should teach all kids as they become more and more comfortable with the ball, which makes playing football easier. So for young kids (say until the age of 12/13), I wouldn't say this is an issue. After that you could start working with conditioned games. possession games work well because there's no sense at all travelling into contact and taking on players. Don't be too hard on your players though. It took the world player of the year runner up long enough to work out his decision-making process. C. Ronaldo always ran into contact the first couple of years.

I say you shouldn't try and 'Stop' your player from taking on one too many defenders, if something it shows their confidence on the ball, you should encourage decision making on when to dribble or when to pass. In my current team im trying to encourage play and build confidence so they never stuck on the pitch when it comes to a situation where a pass is not on.