Wembley stadium is a buzz of excitement, tension and sheer disbelief at how good this Barcelona team are. They are up there as one of the best teams of all time, not only in winning 3 Champions League titles in 6 years but in the beautiful pass and move tikka takka style of keep ball and interplay. It's May 28th 2011 and Barca have just torn apart the English Champions Man Utd winning 3-1 in a display that was simply breath taking.
At their heart is the maestro Messi, who was dropping into a false no 9 role, making it a 4 v 3 in the middle of the park, overwhelming the Utd midfield. His ability to spin on the ball and dribble with ferocious pace and composure, linking with Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro and Villa was a sight to behold. It was live artistry in motion. The stadium and world watched on in awe.
As a Coach I re-watched the game many times, looking for moments that I could study, capture and pass on to my young football students. One of those standouts came as Messi was positioned with the ball in a 1 v 1 out wide on the touchline facing Man Utd's pacey winger Nani. Messi at standstill bursts into action, dropping his left foot quickly behind the ball to the ground and then with a shift of balance, tapping the ball onto his right foot and past Nani, who was left in his wake. Messi's fast run into the box leads to a Barca goal. His moment of sheer brilliance has unlocked a stubborn defence. He is the difference.
I'm delighted that we have included this amazing skill in our One2Pro online coaching program app and broken it down step by brilliant step for our players to follow and practice. 'Half slide and tap' can be found in Module 12 (Tricky Moves). Download to view this and all skills for just $9.99 (Aus), or subscribe and work with your One2Pro Coach on all 92 skills.
Be The One!
Enjoy!
Aaron Tighe
Founder One2Pro