The Infamous, Game Resolving Toe Poke
Being a youth coach, I have to constantly remind my players to use “use the shoe laces” while shooting. They all start using toe pokes because it’s the natural thing to do. However the toe poke usually sends the ball in the wrong direction. Or does it?
Consider these 2 World Cup Goals:
1- Romario in Brazil against Sweden in 1994 in the Silver Dome in Detroit (yes I was there!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrvOo08OeWc
3- Ronaldo in Brazil against Turkey the Semi-Final of the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1QRAbDc-J0
OK, I am using 2 Brazilian examples, but that is on purpose. Being the inventors of the Futsal, Brazilians has somewhat of an advantage when it comes to toe poking. That is because in Futsal the toe poke is the rule and the “shoe lace” the exception.
If you look closely at both goals, you will see that they had 2 things in common:
a- The forward was being marked by multiple players. Taking a big swing of the leg was literally impossible.
b- The goalkeepers were both moving towards the opposite direction of the shot.
With no time to swing, the toe poke requires a lot less time to fire. It also catches the defense and goalkeeper by surprise because they are waiting for the big swing before jumping. Although neither shot was very powerful but both made into the net.
So how do you train the toe poke? Make a very small goal, 3 feet wide and go about 20-25 yards away from it. Toe-poke the ball until you can get 5 in a row inside the small goal.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
What does it really take to be a forward in soccer?
In the past few years I have seen a lot of talented kids try to move from midfield or defense to being a striker. In spite of having great footwork, agility and a good shot they end up failing because of a few details. Here is what worked for me when I was a kid and made this transition from defense to attack:
1- Always attack vertically. What I mean by this is dribble and run with the intent of taking a shot. Unless you are trying to delay the opponent, dribble and attack towards the goal.
2- Work that weak foot! By being able to kick the ball fast because it’s in reach of your weak foot you have a better chance of scoring. You should work so hard at it that people watching you can’t tell which one is your weak foot.
3- Work on the “crunched” cross. I call crunched cross a ball that is 50-50 between the forward and the defense. To be a good striker you need to get to that crossed ball before the defender. When receiving crosses: i) get to ball first, and ii) shoot 1-touch to surprise the defense. Don’t try to take the perfect shot because you will lose precious time. One touch shots, even if weak, usually surprise the keeper.
4- Use your arms. Yes use your arms. Defenders will push you and shove you. This is what defenders do. I am not telling you to foul them. I am telling you to use your arms to protect yourself and the ball. I have seen an epidemic of kids with bruised faces because they can’t defend themselves. Soccer is a contact sport. If you can’t protect yourself you will get hurt over and over again.
5- Do cone work. Use cone training to change direction and shoot. When you are at full speed and change directions you throw the defense off balance. Do it 2, 3 times and you are a few steps ahead of them. You can use a few different sequences to improve your acceleration and cutting speed while keeping control of the ball. Recently retired Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario was a master in this type of skills. Below this post is a link to a soloist sequence.
These were the tips that really worked for me years back.
And here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M7R8nKMxlo&feature=player_embedded
Enjoy!
In the past few years I have seen a lot of talented kids try to move from midfield or defense to being a striker. In spite of having great footwork, agility and a good shot they end up failing because of a few details. Here is what worked for me when I was a kid and made this transition from defense to attack:
1- Always attack vertically. What I mean by this is dribble and run with the intent of taking a shot. Unless you are trying to delay the opponent, dribble and attack towards the goal.
2- Work that weak foot! By being able to kick the ball fast because it’s in reach of your weak foot you have a better chance of scoring. You should work so hard at it that people watching you can’t tell which one is your weak foot.
3- Work on the “crunched” cross. I call crunched cross a ball that is 50-50 between the forward and the defense. To be a good striker you need to get to that crossed ball before the defender. When receiving crosses: i) get to ball first, and ii) shoot 1-touch to surprise the defense. Don’t try to take the perfect shot because you will lose precious time. One touch shots, even if weak, usually surprise the keeper.
4- Use your arms. Yes use your arms. Defenders will push you and shove you. This is what defenders do. I am not telling you to foul them. I am telling you to use your arms to protect yourself and the ball. I have seen an epidemic of kids with bruised faces because they can’t defend themselves. Soccer is a contact sport. If you can’t protect yourself you will get hurt over and over again.
5- Do cone work. Use cone training to change direction and shoot. When you are at full speed and change directions you throw the defense off balance. Do it 2, 3 times and you are a few steps ahead of them. You can use a few different sequences to improve your acceleration and cutting speed while keeping control of the ball. Recently retired Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario was a master in this type of skills. Below this post is a link to a soloist sequence.
These were the tips that really worked for me years back.
And here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M7R8nKMxlo&feature=player_embedded
Enjoy!
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