How to become a goal machine

Scoring goals is what football is all about. "Oh, really?" I hear you say. "This guy's a genius!" Want to improve your stats and become your team's number one goalscorer? I've got some advice to share with you.

Working on your signature move

At training I recommend focusing on a move you love or that you know well so you can use it as often as you can in a match and execute it perfectly every time. Here I'm talking about a technique that will help open up the goal or a kicking technique. Thierry Henry scored many goals thanks to his mastery of curling the ball. His secret? Talent of course, I'm not about to tell you you're going to be the next top striker! But repeating a specific move will help develop your confidence, better technique, and therefore greatly improve your results when you face the goal.

The art of positioning

To score lots of goals, you need to know how to position yourself perfectly. You've probably already seen players like Ronaldo or Trezeguet doing it, being in the right place at the right time. This position isn't pure randomness or luck, there's a lot of tactical work and training without the ball that goes on behind the scenes.

Here are a few useful tips:

Before your team-mate kicks the ball for a free-kick, position yourself offside to throw off the defence, then as your team-mate takes their run-up move back like Sergio Ramos. This way you'll have more chance of avoiding being marked by the defence and being able to land a devastating header.

In training, work out a feint that you can use during matches. By doing this it will soon become second nature with your team-mates and it could even become one of your trademarks. For example, if you're a fast player you might feint for a near post followed by a far post like the greatest forwards. You can also work on these combinations for corners. Cavani made this one of his signature moves, but it didn't happen by accident.

You need to use the movement of the players around you. If you analyse the calls of your team-mates and the position of your opponents before receiving the ball, this will help you position yourself and be in the right position to shoot.

Don't hesitate to move away from your position to join in the game

A little like Karim Benzema, feel free to move away from your position to participate more in the game if you feel technically at ease with it. This way you'll be able to go and help your team in the middle of the field during the most difficult matches. Moving around like this can also throw off the defence, meaning your opponent won't be sure where to focus on to mount a defence. And defending against a player who arrives unexpectedly is always more difficult. By doing this you can also distract the defence and open up space for your team-mates, particularly if playing in a 4-3-3 formation.

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