How to Master Soccer Skills: New Series from The Athletic

If you've been following the World Cup closely, you may have noticed the "knee of the cow." This technique first appeared at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during the second half of the Brazil vs. Morocco match, with about 15 minutes of regulation remaining. It was something wonderful. Lest you think the heat is starting to get to us and we're going a little crazy, it's a superb skill demonstrated by Ismael Saibary, Morocco's talented striker, as he dribbled past Brazilian defender Douglas Santos to the delight of the crowd. Saibari's 180-degree turn is called the "cow knee" in Spanish, and the move was made popular by Brazilian and Barcelona legend Romario in the 1990s. It's also one of ten skills that will be featured in the first part of our How to Do It series, which breaks down the best dribbling moves and turns used by the world's greatest players through video tutorials. Watch and learn, and maybe you can wow your friends at your local five-court pitch next week with Ronaldinho's hocus-pocus. The six-part series will also demonstrate the art of shooting, explore the best types of passes in the game, look at different set pieces, hear useful goalkeeping tips and show you how to tackle a ball juggling challenge inspired by Diego Maradona's 1989 warm-up. The program will be hosted by four players with more than 1,500 professional football caps, including current and former internationals, as well as a cult hero who takes penalties while pretending to tie his shoelaces and performs as a seal. We also have a content creator with the ferocious kicking technique taught by David Luiz, a talented Liverpool academy schoolboy, and three other teenagers who are just starting out in the world of professional and semi-professional football. So let's figure out how to do this cow knee...

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