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Skills and Drills.
Turns.
Shoulder Feint.
Dipping the shoulder to one side and going in the opposite direction. Step into the direction you are faking with your shoulder and take off with the ball in the other direction. Shoulder fake to the right then you dribble off or turn with the ball to the left - and the reverse.Â
Before turning, and when you have a defender on your back, move your body and throw in feints as if you are going to go in one direction when you really want to go the other way.
Spinning with the Inside of the foot.
If you know you have time or can do this quickly - use the inside of the foot to spin around with the ball. You are using the inside of your foot for control and pulling the ball around to open up into the new direction you want to go in. That way your are immediately open to the entire field and make a pass with the inside of your foot.
The Dummy.
If the ball is played at the right pace and you think the defender is too close to you, then you can let the ball run through your legs and turn and beat your opponent to the ball. Also, if you know your teammate is behind you and open, you can let the ball run through your legs and go to your teammate and they then can play the ball to back to you - much like a give and go.
This is very effective for forwards to learn. The ball can be played to the forward who's checking back who lets it run through his or her legs or just lets the ball go and quickly turns to get the ball back from the other forward.
When the two forwards are lined up one should always be closer to the midfield. The forwards should try to work in tandem and stay ten or fifteen yards from one another. One stretching the defense the other closer to the midfield - of course the forwards can rotate and switch these positions through the course of the game but often the taller forward posts up high to win head balls for instance, while the other forward try's to win the knock downs or anticipate a flick, off of a goal kick or punt.Â
More on Crossing: getting the ball in the box.
As a winger or wide midfielder it is important to get the ball in the goal box. That means when you having an opening serve the ball across the goal mouth. Whip the ball in. You must put the ball in with pace to make it easier for the targeted player to redirect the ball on goal and also avoid getting the ball cut out or blocked by a defender.
Try to get accustomed to crossing the ball when you have the opportunity. The defender who is marking you will begin to think you are going to cross it every time, it is then that you take the player on and go down the line to cut the ball back or take a shot yourself.
You don't need to reach the end line to cross the ball. You can and should cross the ball from any point over the half line really, as long as you are trying to pick out someone directly or if you are leading a player with a cross as that player makes a run towards goal.
Stock Ball.
Your goal is to get to the end touchline and lay the ball back to a teammate. As a team you can try to seek this kind of situation out - whether it is getting the ball wide to a midfielder who can take the defender on and cut the ball back. There are numerous options but another could be playing the ball down the line to a forward, who has made a diagonal run, who can turn then turn and cut the ball back to a teammate across the goal mouth.Â
As a rule, if you can beat your defender down the line then go for it - but if you can bend the ball around the defender or feint and get enough space to get the cross in the do that. You'll need to be aware of where your forwards are - so you can time the pass right and have the ball meet them at the right pace as they move towards the goal. Try to pick someone out with your pass.
Juggling.
It seems or can appear to be impossible to keep the ball up in the air at first. As you've heard numerous times before, you need to practice and practice. Soon enough things will start to click and you can build from one to two to twenty touches of the ball in the air.
At first try kicking the ball into your hands. Dropping the ball down to your feet and kicking the ball back up to your hands. Then two juggles and back up to the hands and then three and four. Next try alternating from your right foot to your left. As you go along it will become easier and you can gain control of the ball. Making the ball do what you want it to do. Again alternating from right to left - maybe twice with the right and then once with the left or four with the left and then two with the right.Â
The main goal should be to be able to juggle back and forth from your right foot to your left. You can then kick the ball higher into the air while your juggling and then lower and then higher. Have fun with the ball, getting used to using all the different surfaces of your feet and parts of your body to control the ball, incorporating more parts as you improve - foot to head to thigh back to foot to head again.
Making the ball do what you want it to do.
You can go in a cycle. Left and then right foot, then right thigh and then left thigh and hitting the ball up to your head and back down to your right foot and then left and so on. You can make up various cycles that you have to go through, choosing where the ball goes and not just keeping the ball up in the air, but manipulating the ball on your terms.
Later you can try to manipulate the ball even more. Kicking the ball away from you to the right and then away from you to the left at a slight angle in the air. Almost like your faking going to the right and then the left but in the air. You kind of need to lean your body to the side in which you are kicking the ball. Kick the ball out to the right then back towards the inside with the right foot - and then try this with your left foot.
Next try walking and juggling with the ball. See if you can juggle the ball to the other side of the field. Later, try jogging and juggling the ball in the air at the same time. You will just need to find the right rhythm, alternating the ball with each step as you jog along. Slowly try to pick up speed as you improve.
Running without the Ball.
If you make a run towards a team mate with the ball but don't receive it - break into space to drag the defender with you. Maybe, making an ambitious run towards goal for a through ball just to draw attention to yourself and open up a play for someone else.
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