Grassroots football players are more likely than most to find themselves behind the defence and one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
These opportunities stack the odds in the attacker’s favour, but so frequently we will see players lack the confidence or the ruthlessness required to take advantage and score from a one-vs-one chance.
You can use these attacking coaching points to help your players develop their confidence in coaching sessions, so that when the chance arises during a game they will know exactly how to score every time.
Key Points
Get the ball into the penalty area as quickly as possible to give yourself the best chance of hitting the target.
Look at the goalkeeper’s position and decide whether you can put the ball over or around them with an early shot.
If not, move the ball slightly to one side of the goal. This will move the ‘keeper towards their near post and open up an angle for a far post shot.
As soon as you have enough space, pass the ball into the far bottom corner – keeping it away from the keeper’s reach.
Attacking Decisions
If the ‘keeper rushes out to close the shot down be prepared to take the ball around them using feint moves and the outside cut.
Don’t be averse to powering the ball in at the near post if the goalkeeper leaves it open.
