It’s not an exaggeration to say that Roberto Carlos scored the greatest free kick ever. By extension, was he the greatest free kick specialist of all-time? Absolutely not. His ability to absolutely crush the ball into a banana curve defied logic and was rumored capable of killing a cow, but his penchant for violence over accuracy meant that many dead balls reached Row Z of Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.
Patrik Eler channeled Thor in his team’s Ligue 2 opener on Friday, striking an incredible goal from nearly 40 yards out. The ferocity and speed with which the ball was struck gave the goalkeeper little chance to save the shot, even from such a long distance.
In a playing career that included stints with Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter, Serbian Sinisa Mihajlovic built a reputation as one the world’s finest dead-ball specialists. Alongside Andrea Pirlo, no player has scored more goals from direct free kicks in Serie A history than Mihajlovic with 28.
He was named Torino manager before the start of last season and guided the club to a ninth-place finish in Italy’s top flight. For a goalkeeper, playing under Mihajlovic is obviously a nightmare.
The long-range specialist. No defensive tactic in the world can stop Johnny Howitzer from beaming up that special sauce and unleashing his fury from 30 yards out. Goalkeepers hate them, video editors love them and your parents wish you could be them.
Argentina’s new sensation has proven time and again how talented he is on the biggest stage for Juventus. It looks like no matter what the circumstances are, Dybala finds a way to shine.
In a charity match in his hometown of Laguna Larga, the 23-year-old was faced with a seemingly insurmountable task - put the ball in the back of the net with 18 defenders and two goalkeepers in the way, many of whom were hanging from the crossbar to further block his path.
These routines are high risk, high reward. You might get yelled at by your team, the other team or your coach. You might get a booking. They could just flat out not work and you look absolutely ridiculous. Alternate reality: you’re a mastermind and an innovator whose creative genius finessed the win for your team, on-lookers are in awe as they bear witness to the unexpected and its impeccable execution, the play lands on Sportscenter Top 10!
Here are a few routines to start practicing on the training ground.