Welcome to the sixth instalment in our series of 10 tutorial articles from FIFA pro club Hashtag United. This week Hashtag Tom returns to tell you how to score from set pieces.
This guide does not guarantee a goal from every set piece that you take, but it will help you to become more effective when the opportunity arises.
Set Pieces have changed massively this year, with more freedom to vary your deadly spot kicks. There is more ball velocity control and a precise aiming system, so you now have an even better chance of emulating real-life set-piece specialists.
Corners
I’ve decided to choose corners first as they are probably the least likely set piece from which you will score.
Crossing the ball from a corner will see you waste the chance 99% of the time as heading has been massively nerfed this year. Players may win the header in the box, but the direction and power is never enough for the ball to hit the back of the net.
This is the case even when a player is wide open and unopposed.
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An alternative in a corner scenario would be to call a man short (pressing RB on XBOX and R1 on PS4). This will allow you to make a short pass to a helping teammate where you can then spread the ball to the edge of the box and try to break down your opponents defence with splitting passes as they push up and try to apply pressure.
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One-Two passes normally help in this scenario as the quick passing will give your opponent very little time to react.
If you are adamant about crossing the ball into the box, the best advice I can give is to use a player with semi-decent passing statistics, as well as to use a left footed player on a left-sided corner and a right-footed player on the right side.
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This is essential as the in-swung cross will put the ball into a more dangerous position in the box as opposed to an out-swung ball which moves further away from the danger zone.
Free Kicks
Free kicks are a great opportunity to score goals, whether it’s scoring from the direct kick or laying the ball to a teammate.
The are many different techniques in which you can score a goal from a dead ball.
Knuckleball
My most recommended tactic would be to use the knuckleball technique. This technique gets the ball up and over the wall and back down again before the keeper can react and make a save.
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To execute this Free Kick method, simply power up your shot and flick the Left-Stick down and then up as your player begins his run up to the ball.
If you are able to green time these consistently I would recommend doing so, as it gives the free kick a lot more accuracy.
Curled Shot
Another popular technique is the curled shot. This shot will curve the ball from off target to one of the top corners (hopefully) .
This is perfect for players with a high curve rating (e.g Messi). It is also great to use when your opponent moves their wall.
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When choosing players for free kicks, it’s almost essential that you choose a player with high FK accuracy in order to give yourself the best possible chance of scoring.
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