
Watch twelve amazing free kick routines caught on camera, with entrants ranging from World Cup matches to high school football.
This confounding effort from Japanese high school team East Fukuoka has been doing the rounds of late…
@James_Dart Amazing free kick routine from today's high school tournament final in Japan MT @gffootballnews: pic.twitter.com/0SbNFWdUT0
— Go! Go! Omiya Ardija (@GoGoOmiyaArdija) January 11, 2016
So let’s look back at some other clever free kick routines that resulted in a goal, starting with one from World Cup ’94…
Thomas Brolin for Sweden v Romania
From the LA Times:
It was suggested by Tomas Brolin, who learned it from his Italian club team, Parma. Svensson liked the play and said he’d remember it. During Sunday’s game, he reminded Brolin to try it.
It worked perfectly because Romania failed to cover its left side on the free kick. Sweden’s Stefan Schwarz stood in front of the ball and pushed it to Hakan Mild.
When Mild got the ball, Brolin broke toward the goal, around the wall of Romanian players, took a pass that left him alone against Prunea and scored.
Javier Zanetti for Argentina v England
From the ’98 World Cup, perhaps even owing itself a little to Brolin’s…
Czech Republic
So quickly are the incisive prodded passes carried out that those defenders barely know what’s hit them…
Real Salt Lake v Columbus Crew
This one gets pinged about to quite bamboozling levels…
David Nugent for Preston v Burnley
A bit like that time Matt Le Tissier flicked it up for himself and smashed in a long distance volley, except here the flick flies over the wall and onto Nugent’s emphatic swing…
Coventry v Everton
Willie Carr and Ernie Hunt went a bit flick ‘n’ volley for Match of the Day’s 1970 Goal of the Season, but rather differently…
Kyoto Sanga v Yokohama
Onto the sillier ones now – no less than four players jump over the ball until finally it gets driven home…
Bryant v. Conway
Two runners collide and crash to the turf as a comical yet effective distraction tactic before it’s played in and finished…
Hapoel Ra’anana v Ramat Gan
Alternatively, you could always try forcibly shoving your team mate out of the way and letting the guy behind you strike it…
Catania v Torni
You could even get a few of your players to drop their shorts at the opposition goalkeeper…
Notts County Ladies v Arsenal Ladies
Laura Bassett fakes a free kick before its tapped aside and curled/deflected into the opposite corner…
Rot-Weiss Essen v Wattenscheid 09
This Bundesliga D match was illuminated by a free kick routine that seems so obvious now. Why don’t all teams do this all of the time?