The art of the dribble with Eden Hazard
The art of the dribble with Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is Chelsea’s young out-and-out winger from Belgium. It’s a small country in Europe that has a growing reputation for bringing us amazing young players.
Having mastered one of the hardest skills in soccer, he is known for being able to dribble the ball past the best defenses in the world. Defenders stand off of him because they know if they sell themselves into a tackle he can skip right past them.
He’s two footed and has pace to burn. Eden Hazard has it all. Take a look at Eden when he was just 15 years old:
Quiz #1
A. From what country and continent is Eden Hazard?
B. How many years older was Eden in the video than you are?
Stat attack
The 23-year-old has earned high praise for his skill to run with and without the ball, and his ability to shine through the stats.
Last year in the 2013/14 season he completed by far the most successful dribbles in Premier League: 100 by the end of February, with Luis Suarez far behind in second place with 63.
Eden says
“Now I realize that I can compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the near future, if I put in some more effort. I don’t know if I will ever reach their level. It’ll be hard, they have incredible stats, but I accept the challenge.”
Quiz #2
A. How many successful dribbles did Hazard complete by February last year?
B. What is the total of Hazard’s dribbles plus Suarez dribbles?
Secrets of dribbling
As he storms down the pitch on a Saturday afternoon, it looks like the ball is glued to his feet. This ability to keep the ball under control while moving at high speed is why he is the best.
When you watch him play it appears he is able to create space where none exists.
Can Hazard ever be as good as the all time greats? Diego Maradona’s dribble in the 1986 Wolrd Cup against England is said to be the best goal EVER scored.
Here are the secrets to Hazard’s dribbling ability:
- Close control: the ball is never more than inches from his feet.
- Changing direction: he is able to cut and change direction very quickly.
- Balance: his balance makes him hard to knock off the ball.
- Vision: he always keeps his head up so he can see the best option at all times.
Quiz #3
A. In what year did Maradona score “the best goal ever”?
B. What are the 4 secrets on dribbling?
Tips and tricks
Defenders find it easy to tackle you if they catch you with the ball. This dribbling drill will speed up your thought process and let you glide away from opponents.
Can you change direction fast with the ball at your feet?
Practice the pull turn and you’ll find the space you need to dribble:
Hazard one of the most deadly goal scorers in the Premier League. Take a look
What do you think? Just how good is Eden Hazard?
Originally published at www.yayasoccer.com.
