All great strikers out there have different types of bodies and various kinds of styles. But what they all have in common is their ability to score goals. With that being said, how do strikers score more goals in soccer?
In this article, you are going to find out 7 things that make strikers score more goals.
Let’s get started.
How Do Strikers Score More Goals?
Here are 7 things you can learn from strikers to score a lot of goals:
- Strikers score more goals because they are selfish
- They always try to target the far post
- They follow their Instinct
- Composure
- Good positioning
- Fast Reactions
- Strikers use their weak foot
1-Strikers Are Selfish
The first reason strikers score a lot of goals is because of their selfishness. Most strikers don’t like the idea of passing the ball when they are in the opponent’s box.
Although this may seem a bad thing, remember that the main job of a striker is to score goals. So, whenever they are in the box, all they want is to find the back of the net.
All the best strikers give themselves the best opportunity to score by being selfish. If there is a 2% chance to score, they will take that chance.
Unfortunately, sometimes, being selfish doesn’t pay off. For example, during the 2022 World Cup finale between Argentina and France, Randal Kolo Muani had a chance to score in the last seconds of the extra time but saw his shot stopped by Argentina’s Goalie.
Kolo Muani had the opportunity to pass the ball to Mbappe as seen in the image below but instead, chose to shoot.
So, be selfish but not all the time.
2-Strikers Target The Far Post
The second reason strikers score more goals is their ability to aim for the far post. Most goalkeepers are tall and agile, so, to beat them, great strikers target the far post.
The advantage of targeting the far post is that the goalie can deflect the ball in corner and therefore, your team gets another goal-scoring opportunity.
3-Strikers Follow Their Instincts
The best strikers follow their instincts.
When your instinct kicks in, you do things that other players won’t think about. Sometimes, you might find yourself in a situation to give a pass, but your instinct will encourage you to shoot and take your chance. If it does, do not hesitate to follow it.
Even during your training, it’s important to let your instincts take over in game situations.
4-Composure
The four reason strikers score a lot of goals is composure. This means being calm and cool in front of goals.
Some players are good finishers in training but during games, they panic in front of the goal and take wrong decisions. This is a lack of composure. This can also happen to players with proper technique.
So, it is important to practice your finishing in many different situations and angles.
The more you practice your finishing in different situations, the easier it will be for you in matches when you find yourself in those same situations. A player like Ronaldo(Brazil) had incredible composure.
5-Good Positioning
Great strikers are always in the right place and at the right time.
Positioning is a very important element when you are a striker because you have to make sure to make yourself available to receive the ball at any time.
As a striker, you are responsible for scoring goals in your team, and this depends on how well your positioning is on the pitch.
6-Reactions
A lot of goals are scored off on reactions. As a striker, whenever a shot is made by your teammate, you have to follow it and expect the goalie to release the ball so you can score a tap-in. This is called being in the right place at the right time.
7-Strikers Use Their Weakest Foot
Strikers also score more goals because they can use both their feet and their head.
Some players have difficulty scoring more goals because they always tend to seek their powerful foot to score.
For instance, if a player is right-footed and has the opportunity to score with his left foot, he will try to bring the ball to his right foot before shooting into the goal.
So, because of these few seconds wasted, the opponents’ defenders will close him down. This means an opportunity wasted.
Improving your weak foot will make you score goals in any type of situation.
Final Thoughts
This article was all about how strikers score more goals.
Let’s recap those 7 things strikers do to be clinical in front of goals: strikers are selfish, they always target the far post, they follow their instincts on the pitch, good composure, good positioning, quick reactions, and they train their weakest foot.
Hope you have gained value from this article.
Remember, it’s all about practice and repetition. Watch videos of your favourite strikers and see what they do and learn also from it.
You can also read: what do coaches look for in strikers?