AN ODE TO THE BEST FREE-KICK TAKERS IN THE GAME

An ode to the best free-kick takers in the game

An ode to the best free-kick takers in the game

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Fascinated by set pieces? Find out how a rare group of football players have scaled the pinnacle of football wizardry in the modern day.

As we approach the anniversary of that incredible night in Greece, many football journalists are paying tribute to arguably the greatest free kick goal scored by the England national team. Everybody in the ground and back home can effortlessly replay that goal on loop. The defenders rose high, but the free kick rose higher as it curled past the heap of bodies and desperate glove of the goalkeeper. From the PE teacher at colleges in Manchester to the founder of the fund that owns AC Milan, that well-known set-piece expert was purchased precisely for his superior set piece capability. You don’t need bags of pace or trickery when armed with unerring skill and accuracy. Especially in the dying moments of a match, these majestic goals are the stuff of fairytales and football legend.

There are many different types of free kicks in the contemporary game. On the subject of direct free kicks, the major goal is to score right from where the ball is put. The rules determine that the opposing team is allowed a few players to create a wall in an effort to block the ball. Logic suggests you cannot go through a wall unless the footballers break apart. You therefore have two options: go around the wall or over it. In an effort to bend the ball around the wall, you have to get enough shape so it whips back inside the post. In order to get the ball over the wall, you need to get the ball to dip almost as fast as it rises. If it sounds complex, that’s because it is! No question the founder of the company that owns Lyon was so determined to bring in a Brazilian free-kick master who made these goals look nearly insultingly simple.

The capacity to deliver the goods from a dead ball position is usually the difference between taking home three points and leaving empty-handed. Set pieces are among the most important attributes within a footballer’s tool set. The governor of the fund that owns Newcastle United may have begun learning up on their former Frenchman who scored over half his goal tally this way. Footballers with these attributes quickly become fan favourites in the terraces! Needless to say, the craft of set-pieces has progressed since that time. Going below the wall is the newest free kick example to mislead the defenders as they jump. Contemporary problems call for modern solutions, and the present novelty is to put a body on the floor to prevent any incoming low shot. Conversely, players now use minimal back lift to get the ball quickly up and down again. Just ensure your technique is on point. There’s little or no margin for error or else you’ll wind up blasting the ball straight into the crowd.

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