Peoples Puskas Finalists: Expert Coaching Analysis

The analysis using Veo technology allows you to slow the goals and preceding moves down so we, as coaches and players, can observe the myriad technical, tactical, and supporting player movements and subtleties that make each goal possible.

Sit back and enjoy the goals. For the more ambitious coach among you, rewind and absorb the Mike Phelan analysis. You will be sure to understand the game in its finer detail, picking up points of excellence and areas for improvement along the way.

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Enjoy!

Ardi Canolli, Northside River FC

Free kick and a technical masterclass from the goal scorer. Composed and assured in both the placement of the ball and the run-up, which is measured out before the strike. The whole approach and the resultant strike are definitely reminiscent of Ronaldo and, maybe an influence on the player.

The strike is clean; the player strikes the ball at a low enough point to get the ball up in the air but not too low so as to blaze over the bar. A key aspect of the whole technique is the balance of the body as he strikes and the fact that he strikes right through the ball. His head remains over the ball as opposed to being tempted to look toward the goal, and this is a great indicator of biomechanical control within a technique.

The strike has a minor degree of right-to-left movement as the foot meets the ball, and this is measured to perfection to start the ball out right while at the same time not being too exaggerated, which would cause a permanent right-sided drift and result in the shot going wide of the right-hand post. Both feet are off the ground post-strike—an image and posture reminiscent of many great players post-shot. A wonderful free kick.

Jake Hill, Colliers Wood Town FC

This is an excellent example of both tactical and technical awareness. Hill is supporting phase 1 of the attack by making a supporting run from midfield and then checks his run as the first phase of play breaks down and the ball is cleared by the opponent. He then switches his gaze and waits until his teammate on the right-hand side regains possession. At the same time, his other teammate (white #7) has taken the defender (#4) inside the pitch and created an inviting space out left, which Hill has recognized and attacked at pace, leaving his own marker (the out-of-possession #11) in his wake.

He has also stayed on the blind side of the defensive #4 as the ball is crossed into the box and, at the same time, kept himself attacking the goal-side of the now-tracking #11. With regard to the shot, Hill has watched the line and stayed onside; he has kept his eyes on the flight of the ball all the way—not his foot. He doesn't have to look at the goal; he knows where it is. The sole focus is now on the incoming flight and the subsequent technique.

The final execution and finish are sublime: eyes on the ball arms out for balance anticipating the take-off, both feet in the air, body over the ball, and hit right back across the keeper in the direction the ball has come from—unstoppable. This is a prime example of awareness, scanning, and discipline to create the opportunity in the first place. A thoroughly excellent goal in multiple aspects.

James Meadows, Milton Keynes Irish

This move starts with a direct and long ball into Meadows himself who, albeit under pressure (possibly even being fouled), does extremely well in his desire to first win and then secure possession for his team. Meadows then shows his technical competence by using both left and right feet to manipulate a better position and plays the ball in front of the midfielder who has supported the forward play sharply and got himself to the other (dangerous) side of the opposing midfield.

The receiving midfielder then plays across the line to a second supporting and wider midfielder. Both these passes have the fine detail of being in front of the oncoming man, which is the fine margin that allows this attack to continue at pace. The wide-right midfielder has a sticky first touch but then gets the ball out of his feet to assess his options for a cross into the box.

With the keeper edging towards his left and near post, and the central defenders having left a gap between them, there is a clear gap for Meadows to attack and possibly head the ball into the left side of the goal—the opposite side to the keeper's initial movements.

The wide player's cross is certainly not where the striker is initially going and is played more at his teammate as opposed to in front of him to attack. What follows is an outstanding sequence of movements from Meadows. First, he manages to stop from what has become a sprint and, at the same time, reassess the flight of the ball. He then manages to rearrange his feet and create a solid frame to take the ball on his chest and regain control of the situation as it appears the chance of a goal has now gone.

What follows is a moment of sublime execution as he waits for the ball to drop to the optimal height, readjusts his body yet again with a nice fall backward to release his right foot, and gives himself enough room in the bicycle kick to strike right through the football. The keeper has again started to move right (keeper's left) and is once again stuck on his feet and moving in the wrong direction as the ball thunders into the goal. A fantastic goal on so many counts, with Meadows showing great technical and tactical awareness and starting the move that leads to his goal.

Jonathan Le Ner, Avenir Sport Saint Pierre Montrevault

This is the classic playing-out-from-the-back scenario in so many ways. Two defenders split wide on the edge of the box, the wing-backs even wider up the field, the ball is played first to the left then forward diagonally and to the right. The first striker comes deep and off the defensive line, and the two midfielders (central and right) now move beyond the receiver of the ball, who has come deep into the line between defense and midfield and, in the case of the #7, into the space the striker has left for him.

These are classic movement patterns from the blues, albeit with little pressure or structure from the opponent, but credit to the blue team for taking advantage. The receiving striker has also managed to receive on his back foot, allowing him to open up and go forward a touch or two before playing the ball wide to the advancing colleague on the right wing.

The right winger then plays the ball first-time into the goal area where the striker has positioned himself blind-side of the right-sided center back of the three. Still a lot to do at this point, but an outstanding strike is manufactured through excellent bodily adjustment and a clean strike through the ball, giving the keeper no chance at all. A perfect team goal with only 6 passes from keeper to goal, involving switches of play, movement off the line, a one-touch cross, and a one-touch finish. Another outstanding goal was finished by Le Ner but with excellent team interplay in its creation.

Nahia Jaime, Mulier FCN

A super long-range strike by Jaime following some persistent final-third work from her teammates. The opposition in blue have a very compact and low block in operation, with 9 players including the keeper behind the ball. The blue team successfully defends the ball on a couple of occasions; however, the red team are relentless in their pressure and simply do not let the blues out.

When out of possession and working as a group, it's important to understand that you may not always win the ball back via a tackle or interception. Sometimes your persistence and pressure forces the mistake from an opponent, and this is exactly what has happened here. From the start of the sequence of play, the blues win the ball back 3 times, but the reds persist, and eventually, the red #7 gives the ball away in a good area for the attacking blue team.

What's important from Jaime in this particular goal is that she adopts a Lionel Messi-like skill in terms of standing still but persistently scanning. If you look closely at her bodily orientation and head movements, she is watching the play at all times and is very aware of everything happening around her with both the ball and the spaces and opportunities the field of play is presenting. You do not always have to run around at 100 miles an hour to be a good footballer.

As the ball eventually pops out, Nahia runs onto it in a positive manner, knowing full well she is going to strike it. The keeper is stranded way over on her left-hand post (Jaime's right), and the ball is hit with sheer venom into the opposite side of the goal. Head and body are over the ball, eyes on the ball, the strike is clean and through the ball, and for the second time in this Puskas final eight, we see the classic pose of both feet in the air post-strike—a signature technique, follow-through, and finish of all the great players.

Samuel Karanja, True Talents of Africa

A thunderbolt of a volley from Karanja which displays a great deal of tactical and technical competence in its execution. Firstly, Karanja's side in yellow are on the attack, but although possession is good, the attack is looking unproductive and appears at first to be well controlled by the yellows' defense as they eventually double up and dispossess the winger.

However, what is important here is that Karanja is supporting the play and perhaps anticipating the clearance. He takes a quick look to his left and becomes aware of where the space on the field is prior to the clearance from the yellow defender. The space is between the yellow midfielder and the referee, and this is exactly where he moves to once in possession of the ball.

The clearance is arguably difficult to deal with on a lively surface (with the referee nearly being hit by the ball), but Karanja gets plenty of his body behind the ball on two occasions to be able to chest and then head the ball in exactly the direction he has identified as a good zone to attack from.

The ball eventually sits up nicely for a volley, and he takes the challenge on with aplomb: arms out for balance, rearrangement of his body, strikes through the ball, and yet again, as we've seen in this series, both feet in the air and struck back where the ball came from in the opposite direction to the keeper's movement and momentum. An excellent finish in difficult circumstances and conditions—a well-deserved finalist in the People's Puskas series.

Thibaut Loubier, Etoile Sportive Trouy

This goal, an excellent example of the volley, is preceded by some excellent passing and team combination play. The yellows move the ball around very efficiently and switch the play while under reasonable pressure from the white opponents.

There are some good examples here of weight of pass which allows the receiving player to then play one-touch (this happens twice), and there are also two fine examples of receiving the ball across the body and on the back foot, enabling changes of direction in the play. This makes it very hard for the white team to regain possession and also forces them to shift their defensive shape frequently.

The goalscorer, Loubier, holds his position nicely throughout the move. He could easily have run into and attacked the space and maybe congested the forward play, but he doesn't, and that's what allows him the time to sort out what isn't a great first touch. But what follows is an exquisite volley.

After the first touch bounces up, Thibaut maintains his composure and strikes cleanly just below the center of the ball to carry his shot over the advancing keeper, who has moved across his goal, and send the ball right over him and back where he came from. Both feet off the ground once again, as we have seen frequently in this series, and eyes on the ball throughout—an excellent strike.

Zackarya Oumamass, AS Blainville

An excellently executed overhead kick. The goal comes from a set piece which appears to be rehearsed, where two attackers are available for the corner taker. The pass is not a good one—high in the air at midriff height—and is difficult for the goalscorer to deal with, hence his first touch taking him backwards and certainly not what was originally intended.

However, what follows from here is a matter of sublime technique for a bicycle kick. Oumamass is back to the goal and waits for the ball to settle at a manageable height while judging the ball's trajectory and timing his jump to perfection. As the ball drops, he jumps off one leg, leans back, and brings the other leg upwards. He then creates a scissor-like motion with his leg coming over the ball and striking with the top of the foot at a good angle so as to keep the ball level and eventually downward into the goal. A super strike well worthy of being a People's Puskas Finalist.

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