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See the issue: January 2007

By Scott Macker

Daryl Shore, assistant coach for the Chicago Fire, offers five tips for successful corner kicks.

1. Your most accurate passer should take the corner kick. “The player who can hit his mark nine times out of 10 should kick,” Shore says.

2. A right-footed kicker takes the Fire’s left corner kicks, and vice versa. According to Shore, in-swinging toward the goal gives your team a better opportunity to direct the ball into the net.

3. Factor in the goalkeeper’s height when deciding how to attack. Shore says, “If the goalkeeper is tall, drive the ball into the traffic so he can’t go up and get it. If he’s smaller, float it in the box so you can get a header on it.”

4. Once the ball is kicked and in the air, the players in the box need to be active and moving. Your biggest advantage is that you know where the ball is going, so you should be able to beat your opponent to it. “It’s a one-on-one battle,” Shore says, “and the player who wants it the most usually gets it.”

5. Stretch the defense with a short corner kick. Shore says, “If the defense doesn’t come out to defend it, you have the options of crossing it at a different angle or dribbling it into the box to find an open shot or teammate.”

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