Corners
Corner kicks are an extremely effective dead ball opportunity to get a high percentage chance at a goal. The power meter is the key to hitting your target player, so a “Corner Distance Chart” has been provided to give you an average range for the power you select. Other types of crosses can catch your opponent off guard and give you a quick chance at a goal. See the list below for tips on when to use these most effectively.
Lob Cross
The lob cross is a high arcing corner kick that is best suited to picking out teammates inside the penalty area, either around the penalty spot or the front or back post. How much you charge up the power meter determines how far the cross goes in. A rule of thumb is the front post is a 50% power up on the meter and the back post is a 70% power up. With that in mind, pick out your target, determine the distance aim and let it go. Also, while powering up the right stick can be used to put a curve on the ball. This works well for in-swinging cross because the keeper thinks the ball is too far out, which often will freeze him on the line and prevent him for coming out and making a simple grab, ending your scoring chance.
Low Cross
The low cross is a very effective tool to catch your opponent off guard. The low cross is more of a driven cross that is usually one touched on for another team mate or a direct shot on the net. This cross is usually whipped in with a lot more pace than the typical high arcing cross, and can really cause your opponent problems. A good tip to remember if you are on the receiving end of this is to look around as you see it coming in, and if you do not have a strike at goal, then look to one touch or “flick” the ball onto another player. Use the receiver to change the direction of the ball and set up some interesting opportunities, or just go in with a full volley or header and stretch the old onion bag!
Ground Cross
This is much like the low cross, but is passed in with pace along the ground. The best way to do this is to look at your closest player and see where the defender is marking him. If the defender is playing off of him, then aim at him and strike a firm cross to see if he has a look at the net or can pass again to a teammate in a better position to finish. The ground cross is extremely effective in setting up for a quick attempt on goal and your opponent is usually not expecting it.
Short Corner
Sometimes the best chance you might have is to play the ball short to a player running up from the back, who then launches his own cross from the crossing zone or passes the ball to another target player. This tends to catch most teams off guard, and can force them to rush the player and may leave some key target players inside the box for a possible goal.
