A corner kick is a standard position in football that is awarded to a team when the ball has completely crossed the goal line, but no goal has been scored and the last player on the defending team has touched it.
Masters of corner kicks are players who know how to cross the ball in such a way as to create a goal opportunity for their team.
There are several types of corner kicks:
– The overhead kick: the ball is served high into the penalty area where it can be
– Flat kick: the ball is delivered low and sharp to get past defenders and into a player on your team.
– Spin kick: the ball is served with a spin so that it changes its trajectory in the air.
Some of the memorable corner kick masters:
– David Beckham
– Andrea Pirlo
– Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The most difficult kicks are the scrolling ones. In some matches, such techniques have become decisive. Let’s look at a few examples.
- The match between Brazil and France at the 1982 World Cup.
In this match, Brazilian midfielder Zico scored the famous goal from a free kick with a twist, which was later called the “goal of the century”. - A match between England and Argentina at the 1986 World Cup.
A match between England and Argentina at the 1986 World Cup
In this match, Argentina midfielder Diego Maradona scored two goals, one of which, known as the “hand of God”, was scored by his hand and the other by a backheeled solo pass that was later dubbed the “goal of the century”. - A match between Italy and Brazil at the 1990 World Cup.
In this match, Italy midfielder Giuseppe Giannini scored a goal from a backheeled free kick that levelled the match. - A match between the Netherlands and Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
A match between the Netherlands and Argentina at the 1998 World Cup
In this match, Netherlands midfielder Dennis Bergkamp scored a goal from a penalty kick with a tap-in that brought his team victory.
- A match between Portugal and England at the 2004 European Championship.
In this match, Portugal’s midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal from a penalty kick with a twist, which brought his team victory.
- A match between Italy and France at the 2006 World Cup.
A match between Italy and France at the 2006 World Cup
In this match, France midfielder Zinedine Zidane scored a goal from a penalty kick with a backspin that levelled the match.
The master of corner kicks is an important player in any football team.
His precise passes can be the key to victory.
It is difficult to say unequivocally in which matches the best corner kicks in the world of football were scored. However, we can highlight a few matches where goals were scored from corners that can rightly be considered among the best:
– The 1982 World Cup final: the Italian national team against Germany. Marco Tardelli’s goal.
– 2005 Champions League final: Liverpool v AC Milan. Steven Gerrard’s goal.
– World Cup 2010 quarter-final match: Germany vs. Argentina. Goal by Miroslav Klose.
– 2014 World Cup group stage match: Netherlands vs. Spain. Goal by Robin van Persie.
– Match of the 1/8 finals of the Champions League 2019: Tottenham vs Manchester City. Fernando Llorente goal.
Apart from these matches, there are many other examples of goals scored from corners that can be called masterpieces. The best corners are not only beautiful goals, but also the result of well-coordinated work of the whole team.
They demonstrate the skill of the players and their ability to create scoring chances from standard positions.