Coach’s Corner

Coach Ricardo Marta

Coach’s Tip: Close Control -

This video is a good illustration of what we emphasize at practice: keep the ball close with control and lots of touches.  Robinho is a master at close control.  Watch as he beats defenders using control and creativity, then passes inside to his teammate for the score.  Enjoy!

You can practice these moves at home:

The “Drible Da Vaca:” 

Take the defender on at speed, pass the ball firmly to one side of your opponent, then sprint around the other, turning the defender inside out.  By the time the defender turns towards the ball, forget it. Its over.

The “Elastico:”

Lure defenders in by dribbling towards them. As the defender moves to make the tackle, use a high-speed side-step to fake one way and quickly cut the ball back inwards.  In. Out. Gone…