Sometimes you see a piece of skill and just go wow! This was the case with Brighton’s Japanese international Mitoma against Chelsea in the Premier League. With teams playing a high press in your own half, the space is behind them, and in Brighton’s case, they jumped on the opportunity to test that reality. With the super-fast Mitoma, it was a frightening display of attacking play.
Video of skill:
1st Person Coaching Breakdown
Jogging back across the halfway line, inside the left channel. Our four forwards are still up. If our goalkeeper Verbruggen plays long, we will be 4 v 4. He’s looking up from the edge of the box; he’s seen the opportunity. OK, let’s spin forward inside into the channel between the full-back and the Centre-Half. Verbruggen launches a long, direct, driven ball. Sprint forward. Look up and back over my right shoulder. I can see the ball’s trajectory. I’ll get to where it’s dropping before the central defender, Chalobah, gets across to me—about 25 yards out.
Keep looking up and behind at the ball. Here it comes, dropping over my right shoulder. Chalobah is getting close. I’ll need to control it high before it bounces. In stride, reach my right foot up and cushion the ball on the laces, but pull it back a bit to stop the forward motion of the ball—and back from Chalobah. Perfect! Killed it to the grass. Now push it quickly inside across Chalobah, who’s still slowing his momentum forward. Touch is too short—push the ball again away from him. That’s better, nicely to the edge of the box, just inside the D.
I can see their goalkeeper, Jorgensen, in a central position. Choice made: bend it around him into the far corner. Run fast to the ball, get my left standing foot next to it, and connect around the bottom right of the ball with a side-foot pass using the inside of my right foot. Start the ball outside of the right post to let the spin bring it back in. Connect! Away the ball goes, fast across the surface, gliding into the corner of the net. It’s in—goal!
Wow! What an incredible showcase of speed, control, and clinical finishing this was by Mitoma. The run, the ability to watch the ball and kill it out of the sky whilst running at full pace, the awareness to get into a shooting position, and then executing a beautiful pass/shot into the far corner.
Practice
1. Standing still, throw the ball up in the air and, as it drops, control it with the laces to kill the ball dead. Give yourself a score out of 3.
2. Kick the ball high and forward, sprint forward to let it come over your shoulder, and control it with the laces.
3. As in No. 2, but to the edge of the box, then finish with a shot. Progress with a defender closing in from the side.
One2Pro:
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Be the One!
Aaron Tighe
Founder, One2Pro
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