A diving header is a very difficult skill that looks great when it comes off. When it doesn’t on the other hand…
There a lot of factors that go into executing a perfect diving header. The ball has to be travelling at a certain height and speed and the player approaching the ball has to get his timing just right if the ball is going to stand any chance of beating the ‘keeper and nestling in the back of the net.
If any one of those elements is a little off, then it has the potential to go horribly wrong, as it did for Marseille’s Saber Khalifa in a French Cup clash against Nice last night.
Considering how low the ball was and the angle that awaited Khalifa when the ball arrived, he probably shouldn’t have even attempted the header in the first place, a fact illustrated when his attempted header screwed off his head and ended up closer to the corner flag than the goal itself.
Don’t get too down on yourself Saber, not all diving headers can be as perfect as this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyqgMM5S_6U
Hat-tip: Who Ate All The Pies
