Fernando Torres "El Nino" - The Perfect Striker?

Fernando Torres has become one of the most respected of the foreign players earning their living in the English Premier League. Ever since his transfer from Atletico de Madrid in the summer of 2007, El Nino, as he was dubbed early on his career, has impressed English football fans not only with his goalscoring abilities, but by his total attitude towards life in his adopted Liverpool.

It couldn't have been easy for Torres when he joined the Merseyside giants. He was, after all, the undoubted 'king' of Atlético; he'd been their youngest ever first team player, youngest ever captain and the talisman of both the team and its supporters almost since his debut in May, 2001. With a following of pop star like proportions, and playing for the team he loved, it was little surprise that he resisted a money-making move abroad for as long as he did.

The time was right, though, in July, 2007, for Fernando to move on. Atlético were in desperate need of money and Torres was beginning to look tired after carrying the burdens of responsibility for so long. July 4th, however, was a highly emotional day when he said his tearful goodbyes to the club he'd loved as a child and for whom he'd scored 91 goals.

It wasn't straightforward, either, joining a club like Liverpool. With a history of great strikers, and a desperation to re-establish themselves as credible championship contenders, Torres would have known that a 'settling in ' period would have been out of the question. He had to hit the ground running - and flat out, at that.

To his great credit, that was just what happened. Torres took to the pace of the Premier League game straight away - claiming that it suited his style of play much more than that of La Liga. After opening his league account against Chelsea in August, he went on to find the net 24 times in his first season and, despite some niggling injuries, has kept on scoring ever since. At the time of writing, Torres has found the net 60 times for Liverpool in only 96 games - an incredible goals per game ratio that equals anything his illustrious predecessors managed.

Liverpool supporters, of course, think the world of their 'kid' - and not just because of the way he brushed Rio Ferdinand aside to score Liverpool's first goal against Manchester United recently. He clearly loves playing at Anfield and has developed a remarkable rapport with the fans, akin to that he had at Atlético. Not that he's forgotten his former club, or its fans. After scoring the first Liverpool goal in a four nil Champions' League demolition of Real Madrid last season, Fernando expressed the hope that the Atléti fans had enjoyed watching that match as much as he had enjoyed playing in it!

Let me finish with a little illustration of one reason why, perhaps, Fernando Torres is such a popular figure. In the summer of 2009, he married his long-term girlfriend Olalla in El Escorial, Madrid. This was no elaborate 'Hello' celebrity wedding, though. Rather, it was a quiet, dignified, family affair, held without fuss and extravagance. There was only one press photographer there - a local, who was then told by the groom to sell on whatever photographs he wanted to magazines and newspapers.

Apart from being fast, strong, brave and unselfish on the football pitch, Fernando Torres is one of football's gentlemen off it! He also scored the winning goal for Spain in the final of the European Championships. What more could you want?

Soccer Skills - Practice Makes Perfect

Call it soccer, football, footie or any other name it is known by. It's a popular team sport that's practiced around the world by toddlers to grown men, men and women alike. In fact, it's the most popular team sport in the world. It's a game played informally by the neighborhood kids, an extracurricular sport in schools and professional soccer players rake in just as much income as American football players. Soccer skills can be learned by anyone.

There are a few basic skills needed to play the game, many of which are started at an early age. The most important soccer skill is communication with your teammates. Listening and talking to team mates while on the field keeps you informed as to what is going on around you and where you should be going. Just as important as communication, knowing the rules of the game is key as well. Teams are usually made up of eleven members, but may only have seven people. The only person that is allowed to touch the ball with their hands is the goal keeper.

A great soccer skill to know is passing. When to give up the ball and allow other team mates opportunity to drive and maneuver the ball. Learning how to receive a passed ball is an important skill too. Key to the game is shooting the ball, or kicking the ball to make a goal. There are a few different ways to shoot the ball. You can do an instep drive, a swerve, and a full volley or if you are really good a flying volley. Dribbling is a diversionary soccer tactic meant to confuse your opponent. It's a misdirection move, making them think you are aiming for one direction when you intend to kick in the other. This requires practice, patience and balance. Heading is using your head to move the ball instead of your feet. Like the other skills, it may take some time to learn how to do this properly, but the end result is a great way of gaining control of the ball with it is in the air. If your position is that of the goalie, you will need throwing skills as well as the others already listed. There are many ways you can throw the ball back into play for your teammate depending on the situation.

Developing your soccer skills will take time and plenty of practice. You can expect to practice your basics every day in order to master them. You should practice alone and with your teammates, under the direction of your coach or just with simple messing around. Search the internet to find drills you can use and videos to learn new techniques and tricks to improve your game. In time, you will be shooting goals, passing like a pro and dribbling with ease and confidence. Should be ever have a question about your skills, talk to your coach and he or she can help you with the answer.

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