A collection of some of soccer's best counter attacks from some of the best teams in the world. Might want to turn down the music though, it's a bit annoying. The counter attack epitomizes good soccer, it's all about one and two touch passes, and getting to goal as fast as possible as the other team has pushed up trying to score.
A counter attack is a quick attacking play by a team who right before this was on the defensive. This team maybe is in a shell, packed in, and hunkered down against a top team and only trying to pull out the tie. Then the sun breaks through and with one fell swoop they're running on goal.
For instance, one team might have nearly scored only for the ball to go out of bounds, off the touchline for a corner, and maybe then another corner or series of corners. Once the corner kick is taken the ball is cleared, at last, and with one or two passes the team that was just defending, is now charging on goal.
One team has been absorbing all of this pressure and nearly concedes a goal, and in then in a series of passes or an amazing dribbling run, is themselves nearly scoring.
The key to a counter attack is the speed of play--and it usually entails a sequence of two or three sharp passes that put a player on goal. Or, there could be a long clear or say a quick throw or punt by the goalie. It's the foresight and recognition of one player putting one of his or her teammates quickly in the advantage. They see the opportunity and go for it as the other team is sucked up trying to score themselves. The previously attacking team is now vunerable, as they have only a few players back defending--everyone is pushed up. The counter attack is one of the most exciting plays in a soccer game.
