Letting the Ball Run Across You to Shield!
- aaronptighe
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Bruno Fernandes looks like he’ll break the most assists record in the Premier League this season, being only two away, with plenty of football to go.
Here is a wonderful example of a world-class player with the awareness to use the ball’s movement and his body to shield and create a goal for his team.
A first-person view for coaching:
Cucurella’s pushed on at left-back to close Mbeumo on the right wing, but his centre-backs are deep. He’s left a nice hole in behind for me to run into behind him and Garnacho, who’s square with him. I’m easily onside.
“First time around the corner” is the shout to Mbeumo, who’s about to receive the pass from deep on his left foot. He spins the ball around the inside of Cucurella.
The ball is coming but short. I’ll need to move back towards it to control. Garnacho is now closing. OK, face the sideline and get my body between the ball and Garnacho. He’s made contact with me, but I’m shielding well. Let the ball run past me down the wing. And now help it forward with a right inside-foot control as it bounces. Perfect!
The ball is running down the wing. Garnacho is trying to bite from the inside, but he can’t reach the ball. I can sense Cucurella also coming behind me. So nowhere to go but forward towards the corner. Next touch: push the ball forward again firmly to the byline and sprint. Garnacho tries another bite, but I can feel him lose balance.
Next touch: cut in on the angle across him to the line. Yes, I’m in. Head up—who’s arriving in the box? Šeško is at the penalty spot.
The ball is almost over the line but under control. Pass inside with the right foot, with pace along the grass, so he can come onto it first time. The ball skims away backwards on the angle towards the penalty spot. Šeško can’t meet it as Chelsea’s Caicedo is holding him back. It’s good, though, as he’s letting the ball run.
Behind him, Cunha is sprinting to meet the ball, and he connects with a solid, controlled right-foot side-foot, guiding the ball with terrific pace into the corner of the near-post net. Goal!
See how Fernandes:
Runs into open space behind the defenders
Adjusts his movement for the slower approach of the ball
Let's it run across his body without initially controlling it
Shields using his body to keep distance between the ball and the player
Controls the ball into space and then cuts across the defender
Shows determination to win
Gets his head up to deliver a killer cross/pass
That’s just three touches, all in all, to cover a lot of ground and deliver the cross. Fernandes is not a winger, but here he shows his experience and class to great effect.
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Aaron Tighe
Founder, One2Pro
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