Impressive agility is not only a great way to get past your opponent, but also to play the ball spectacularly. Which tricks are most effective?
A trick that is relatively simple, but requires good timing. Elastico is performed by staggering a half-circle to the right and quickly changing direction to the left. With a good feel for the ball, it is easy to dodge an opponent and confuse the direction of the goal run.
An inverted form of this trick is also often used, starting with a sweep to the left and nimbly changing direction to the right. The move can be used not only against an opponent in the defensive zone, but also during a one-on-one duel with the goalkeeper. Proper timing and sure movement will make the goalkeeper automatically throw himself to one side, leaving the other open for a shot.
A trick mastered to perfection by French footballer Zinedine Zidane. The technique involves a full 360-degree turn, switching the ball from one foot to the other while avoiding the opponent.
The trick relies on the muscle memory developed during the game and good ball coordination, as the ball will be out of the player’s sight for a brief moment. The spectacular trick is not the easiest and requires a lot of practice
Another useful skill is performing tricks, commonly called “drips.” Most football training sessions include dribbling, which is tapping the ball with the foot, knee, head and chest. This exercise improves the feel of the ball, makes it easier to receive and control, and allows you to effectively slow it down after flight.
Dripping can also be used in evading an opponent, but requires a high degree of precision. The toss can be performed over the athlete’s head, exactly in a pre-planned location. After the hit, the player bypasses the opponent and is the first to reach the free ball.
A simple trick that allows you to effectively pass a player in almost any situation. It requires precision and good agility to perform, but its effectiveness is worth the hard training.
The step up is based on an attempt to circle the ball with one foot and then flip it over to the other foot. At this time, the player must dynamically change the direction of body alignment and quickly pass the opponent. The opponent will read the expected direction of the run based on the position of the body, so the key element is to confuse the opponent well with the position adopted at the beginning of the action.
The last proposition does not involve dribbling to facilitate the removal of the opponent, but it is an effective and efficient way to exclude the opponent from the action. Robert Lewandowski, who played spectacularly on the wing or in the middle of the pitch, used the no-look pass more than once.
It is based on an effective reception of the ball and deceiving the opponent with the movement of the body. In practice, the player accepts the ball, picks it up and sends it in the direction of his colleague, but in such a way that he looks around in the opposite direction to the performed hit. This makes the opponent think that the ball will be played in the direction the player is looking, when in fact it is played in the opposite direction.
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