Let modesty be the rule of observance.
From: samateh saikou <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2009 11:05:55 PM
Subject: What a Goal: Adebayor volley
OMG! What a Goal: Adebayor volley, with coaching comments
10 Apr, 2009Rabid anti-Arsenalists please turn away. For the rest of you, here is a goal for the ages you can show young players over and over again as a finishing technique that is actually decently easy and fun to practice.
Practice, however, is one thing. Having the opportunity in a real game to pull this off is another. Enjoy, and in keeping with the massive popularity of my last OMG! What a Goal, I've included some coaching comments below the video.
(if this video doesn't show up, go to youtube or google and search 'Adebayor Goal Villarreal' and you should find some version of it).
This goal works on two things that I've been focusing my teams on a lot over the winter - forwards creating angled runs while opening their stances to see more of the field; and shorting the time between first touch and shot inside the box (hunger/urgency).
Set aside the sheer class of the service and technical skill on the finish. That you'll have to master
over a lifetime. Focus on the decision-making and positioning. That is something many players go a lifetime without ever learning, but is something anyone can do right now.
Angled and Open Run
The 43rd second of this video clearly reveals a critical decision Adebayor makes in "opening" his initial run while still facing a majority of the field and the defenders he'll have to navigate. He has a "plan" before the ball arrives, which is always the difference between good players and great ones. Most young forwards today make their runs showing butts and elbows to their midfielder like a NFL receiver on a fly pattern up the middle. Soccer is different however, as this zero-angle run not only requires an absolutely perfect service, but also forces the forward to lose sight of goal and defenders in order to judge the flight of the ball as they look back over their shoulder. How can you plan ahead if you can't see what's
developing ahead of you and can't adjust to the flight of the ball? Adebayor solves this with few simple cross-over steps towards the corner flag while still keeping his eye on the ball and the goal simultaneously. That little decision - finding the gap and always keeping the defenders and goal in his peripheral vision allow him to adjust to the ball, and make the perfect play.
Urgency In The Box
This one is simpler to discuss. It's all about a couple of principles you need to have ingrained in your thinking as a soccer player if you want to be a "goal scorer" rather than a role player - and I don't mean that as only forwards. Everyone on the field can be a scoring threat if they have the right attitude near goal.
When in scoring position and you get the service you were hoping for;
- Always know where the goal is and be ready to put the ball in that direction with any surface of your body.
- Always have a plan/reason for doing what you're doing BEFORE the ball comes your way. Is there a place your teammate could put a ball for you that would give you a clear shot on goal? Then get there!
- Never let a ball bounce in the box because you never really know how the ball will bounce when it hits ground, and every fraction of a second you wait to take the initiative, defenders are getting closer.
- When under pressure, but you cannot get a first-time shot off, get the shot off as quickly as you're capable of after the first touch. This doesn't mean a better choice might not be to beat a defender on the dribble, but when the plan you've made is to shoot from where you are, don't delay.
- Don't let defenders standing between you and the goal stop you from shooting. Key word here is "standing". If they can't directly reach the ball to block your shot, and you're ready to fire, then do it. Defenders that can't prevent your shot directly are just as dangerous to their team as they are to you. They may block your shot by luck, but they're also screening their goalkeeper, and may deflect a ball accidentally into their own net. (search blooper football goals on youtube for plenty of examples).
Chris Hummer is Founder and President of HummerSport, LLC, publisher of Potomac Soccer Wire and numerous other soccer-focused web sites. Off the field, Chris spends his days running his soccer company, writing about soccer, and helping administer FC Virgina, an elite youth soccer club based in Northern Virginia. On the field (and sidelines) he is a USSF B licensed coach with 10 years experience and 31 years of playing experience (and counting). Hummer is a Head Coach and Trainer for multiple FC Virginia teams, as well as Assistant Varsity coach for the girls team at Potomac Falls High School in Sterling, VA. You can reach Chris at [log in to unmask]
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