Effective 1v1 moves, open field, fairly easy

[NOTE: In 3v3 Soccer, your last player (defender) should refrain from risky moves unless they are very practiced. I constantly encourage the forwards to have fun with these fancy moves.]

1) Stop and Go. Dribble fast, then stop. When the defender stops, you go.

Maradona shows a stop and go, followed by Messi and Zidane...



2) Chipped Cuts. When you try to get around a defender, instead of simply cutting around him or her, chip the ball a foot or two off the ground, that way if the defender reacts by throwing a foot up to block the ball, it goes over his or her foot and you continue your run. The best way to chip cut is to make your step the chip, i.e. the first step in your run is also what chips the ball. Most players chip the ball and then run after it.

My son showing how to step/chip in one motion...



3) Sharp Cuts. Pelé did this wonderfully, almost like passing to himself, then cutting off in another direction.

Pelé showing some sharp cuts. Notice how he keeps the ball close when he dribbles...



4) Cruyff. Named after Johan Cruyff. You pretend to kick the ball, but instead, your kicking leg moves to in front of the ball and your ankle or heel punches the ball backward in the opposite direction you were coming from, almost like a behind the back pass. A more advanced version is Cristiano Ronaldo’s version, which he does on a full run as he’s being chased, where the ball suddenly cuts behind him and the defender. A forward can also score against a defender using the Cruyff.

My son showing the Cruyff, followed by Johan Cruyff and Cristiano Ronaldo...

Effective 1v1 moves against a planted defender

I’ve tried my best to describe these moves, but in all honesty, some of them have to be seen; and even after seeing some, they still require a lot of practice to finally execute:

1) Fake Kick. This may seem simple enough, but to execute it correctly, it does require practice; and against a planted defender, this move is by far the most effective. When the offensive player pulls his leg back to kick, he should bring his foot forward fast, stepping on the ball hard to make a kicking sound. Most of the time, the defender will flinch, jump or turn around. With a foot still on the ball, the player can brush the ball to either side and then simply tap the ball into the goal. Again, the motion of kick, sound and brush, should be fluid so that the ball is tapped into the goal, or kicked, before the defender realizes what happened.

Example of fake kicks...



2) Brushing “Left Behind” Nutmeg. [NOTE: Brushing the ball means placing your foot on top of the ball, as if standing on the ball, and then rolling your foot in the direction you want the ball to go. Brushing is very effective because the ball can go in any direction, unlike kicking the ball where the ball only goes in the direction opposite of where the kicking foot is.]

Standing in front of the defender, step wide (to either side works but I will go to the right for clarity) with your right foot to the right, leaving the ball with your left foot, except after your wide step, your left foot brushes the ball toward your right foot, your left foot planting in front of your right foot while the ball is seemingly left behind and now rolls toward your planted left foot. From the defender’s perspective, you appear in no position to strike the ball, and since you moved to one side, the defender probably took a step to follow, opening his legs. That is when your right ankle swings behind your left leg and punches the ball through the defender’s legs (called nutmeg). I say swing, but in reality, if your left foot planted past your right foot, then your right ankle or heel need only punch the ball forward.

My son showing the Brushing “Left Behind” Nutmeg...



3) Brushing Ankle Punch. [NOTE: An ankle punch is when you strike the ball with your ankle without first swinging your leg back. A good way to practice this is by placing your foot six inches away from the ball and punching through the ball, no back swing.]

Standing in front of the defender, with your right foot, brush the ball to the right, except instead of planting your right foot after the brush, your right foot hovers behind the rolling ball, waiting for the defender to move. As the ball rolls, if the defender steps, your right ankle punches the ball through the opening legs. If the defender doesn’t step, as the ball continues to roll wider, you ankle punch the ball around the defender.

My son showing the Brushing Ankle Punch...



4) Back and Forth. Moving the ball back and forth can confuse a defender.

My son showing an example of a back and forth chip (he brushes the ball to his right then flicks it back to his left foot, to chip it over the defender), followed by Ronaldo going back and forth for a nutmeg...