It's reaching the last minutes of a dramatic derby between Man City and Man Utd, with a lot at stake. Enter Amad with a piece of exceptional skill, speed, and determination to win the game for his team. Below is a first-person view of the thinking of the player and how to practice as a youth player.
Watch Amad Goal 1:53 into the video.
First-Person View:
We have good possession of the ball. Martinez has no pressure on him inside our own half, left side. Drift into the No. 10 position. Zirkzee is making an outward run from centre forward behind the full-back Walker's position, who's pushed forward. There's a big hole now in the centre of their defence. It's open space all the way to the goal. If I sprint into the hole and Martinez can deliver a long pass, I'll be one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Martinez has seen me; his head is going down to strike the ball. Sprint now, fast, into the space. Nunes, my marker, is behind me now; he won't catch me. Here it comes, at pace, over my left shoulder. It's high, and it's going to land far forward. Sprint hard to the edge of the box.
I've got to meet the ball on the bounce. The goalkeeper, Ederson, is hesitating; he's not rushing forward. Keep sprinting. I'm going to be first to the ball. Watch the bounce—just need to connect with the ball to flick it around Ederson. It's a stretch; the ball is lifting off the bounce. Help flick it up now with my toe. Nice! It's up and over Ederson.
Now run to meet it on the volley as it drops. The angle is narrow to the empty goal and wide on the edge of the 6-yard box. Just concentrate on connecting. Watch the ball—it's dropping. I know where the goal is; I can see it out of my peripheral vision. Run to meet the ball. Strike with left-foot laces as it gets close to the ground and direct it across my body towards the goal. Keep the toes pointing down to keep it low. Whoosh! Off it goes towards the goal. The last defender, Nunes, running into the goal, is meeting it on the line. He's missed it. It's in! Gooooaaalllll!
What an amazing goal by Amad. The vision, confidence, and courage to see the space to run forward into, beyond the defenders. The determination to meet the ball on the stretch and the skill to control it up off the bounce over the goalkeeper is exceptional. The finish is no easy task as the angle to get the ball through the small window to the goal is so tight. This is a player with supreme focus and determination to execute to win.
Practice
In training matches with your team, think one or two moves ahead and make runs that take you in behind defenders. This can be in any part of the pitch. If you are a defender, can you run behind your opponent to receive a forward pass? If you are a midfielder or attacker, practice running behind your marker/opponents similarly.
Shout loud when you make these runs. The player on the ball needs to be made aware of your run and your determination to receive the ball. They will have their head down and be concentrating on controlling the ball and deciding what to do with it. Your shout will help them.
Either with a partner or against a wall, work on half-volley control techniques. Lift the ball up on the bounce as it's served to you and then volley it back to your partner with your laces.
One2Pro:
The use of video with a coach review is fantastic for honing skills and performance. In our One2Pro online coaching app, "Techniques of the Stars" are broken down step-by-step for players to follow and practice.
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Be the One!
Aaron Tighe
Founder, One2Pro
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