Top 10 imaginative set pieces

13 April 2012

Following Manchester United's crafty attempts at tricking Chelsea from a corner, we take at look at some of the most imaginative set pieces ever seen...

10 Back-heel penalty

Although not technically in a game situation, this deserves a mention. Not content with banging home goals in training, Francesco Totti decided to show his team-mates why he is Roma's best player - by back-heeling his penalty into the net.

9 Goal kick wonder

In Brazil, even the goalkeepers can score sublime goals. Last year Avai keeper Eduardo Martini collected the ball, looked up and launched it the length of the field into the Parana goal.

8 The flip throw-in

Not often seen on these shores, the art of running, doing a handstand and flipping over allows the player to hurl the ball considerably further. In this example the flip throw-in is wonderfully demonstrated by Dana Peart of Utah State University. Just imagine Rory Delap at the Christmas do.

7 From kick-off

It takes great vision to lob the keeper at the best of times but to do it from kick-off is just audacious. This little beauty takes all of three seconds to hit the back of the net.

6 Pires' penalty mix-up

Robert Pires probably still wakes up crying over this one. Stepping up to take a spot-kick against Manchester City, Pires decided that the laws of the penalty simply don't give the attacker enough of an advantage. Instead he chose to legally pass the ball forward to play Henry in. The plan surely would have worked had Pires not bodged his pass.

See Johan Cruyff for how it's done properly.

5 The Le Tissier

Matthew Le Tissier's tee up and volley against Wimbledon has become part of footballing legend. Instead of taking the free-kick himself, Le Tiss had it rolled back to him, before chipping it up and smashing it home.

4 The Chilavert

On the plus side, in Jose Luis Chilavert, Paraguay had an exceptional free-kick taker. On the down side, Chilavert was also their goalkeeper and every time he stepped up to take a free-kick or a penalty, which he liked to do, his team were susceptible to the odd breakaway goal. Still, it made things interesting. Here Chilavert comes tearing out of his goal and booms a free kick in from his own half.

3 Mooning the keeper

Catania players found a novel way of distracting the opposition goalkeeper when playing Torino last year. As Giuseppe Mascara stepped up to hit a 30-yard free-kick, three of his team-mates stood behind the wall and dropped their shorts, 'mooning' Torino keeper Matteo Sereni. The ball flew into the top corner and Catania won 3-2.

2 The clever corner

United players were furious when referee Howard Webb disallowed their opener on the weekend. Having won a corner, Wayne Rooney ran over to the ball and touched it into play. He then casually strolled away as if to let Ryan Giggs take the corner. Giggsy immediately picked up the ball and ran straight towards the box where his cross was headed home by Cristiano Ronaldo.

1 Reverse free-kick

You might not expect Ukrainian domestic football to provide one of the most imaginative goals ever seen. But this makes Le Tissier look like an amateur.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

David Jones (Footballer)

Top 10 imaginative set pieces

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