Soccer star
Véronique Maranda
of Canada’s Women’s
World Cup and
Under-20 national
soccer team guides
you through
bending a ball
into the goal!
Beckham
Learn how to play
like the pros with this
super-soccer shot
22 OWL
Step 2 Run at the ball at a
wide angle, keeping your eye
on the ball the whole time.
Step 3 Plant your left foot next
to the soccer ball — and a little
behind centre — as you prepare
to take your shot.
Step 4 Strike the lower right-hand
side of the ball with the inside of
your right foot. Lean back slightly to
get the ball higher in the air.
HINT: The further to the outside of
the ball you strike, the more spin
you’ll have.
Step 5 If you’ve aimed correctly,
watch the ball curve through the
air and into the goal. You’ve just
bent it like Beckham.
HINT: Be patient! This skill takes
practice.
Show
Your Stuff
Send photos of you bending
a soccer ball to: D.I.Y. SOCCER
c/o OWL (address page 63).
OWL 23
Illustrations: Tyson Smith
HINT: These
directions will explain
how to bend the ball
using your right foot.
To bend with your left
foot, simply reverse
the directions!
You’ll need:
•a soccer ball
•a soccer net
and field
Photos: Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images (Beckham); Courtesy of Soccer Canada (Maranda)
Bend It Like
Step 1 Place the ball on the
18-yard box, and face the goal.
Take about three or four big steps
back, and three more to the left.