Your team is at the opponent’s goal and is about to score a goal. A lot of players commit because the situation looks promising. Suddenly, their goalie grabs the ball and launches the ball down field. Uh oh…it is a counter attack. You begin to backtrack and realize that you and your other defender are the only two players back while they attack with 3…and here comes the 4th. What do you do?
The intention of a corner kick is to score off of a header or rebound. However, often times though the ball is cleared out to the top of the 18-yard box. The offensive player standing there is now able to have a direct shot on net. These shots should almost always result in a goal. Take advantage of these opportunities and make the best of them.
A reader emailed in the question “where should I head the ball in my own end and in midfield?” Many players simply head the ball to make contact but there is much more to heading the ball than that. Below are a few tips on heading the ball:
You are willing to go above and beyond and improve different parts of your game. Below are some great exercises that can be done before or after training sessions or at the park on your own time. These exercises with the ball will help improve your touch on the ball which will help develop many other parts to your overall game.
Many wingers think their sole responsibility is to run up and down the field, take throw-ins, corner kicks and be fast. However, there is more to being a midfield winger than this. Depending on the formation your team plays you will have different duties.
4-4-2: in this formation the wingers’ main offensive responsibility is to provide through-balls to the forwards, cross the ball into the 18 yard box when in the attacking third of the field, attack defenders with the ball and a lot of runs off the ball to receive passes from your teammates, specifically center midfielders.