Knockdown Finishing | Loose-Ball Shooting Off Crosses

Overview

• Players who deliver crosses from wide areas
• The attacker who times a run into the box (first man)
• The attacker who turns loose balls into shots (second man)

Objectives

• Learn how multiple players link up inside the box
• Sharpen the read to spot a loose ball off a cross and get a shot away fast
• Improve quick, reactive play on floated and bouncing balls
• Groove the scoring pattern from wide attack all the way to the finish, in one flowing sequence

Setup

A midfielder feeds the ball out wide, and the wide attacker floats a cross into the box. The first attacker attacks the cross and knocks it down, and the second attacker reads that and finishes the loose ball.

1) Setup: Play on a 50m x 36m area with 9 players. Set up a midfielder (the passer), a wide attacker (the crosser), two attackers in the box, a keeper, and a few defenders.

2) The midfielder plays a square or diagonal ball out to the wide attacker.

3) The wide attacker floats a cross into the middle of the box.

4) The moment the first attacker attacks the cross and knocks it down (or gets it blocked), the second player reacts and shoots.

5) Run the same sequence from the other side, alternating left and right for several sets.