Kevin de Bruyne superb cross to Foden. Talk about bending the soccer ball perfectly into an attacking player. You couldn’t ask for a better cross, if you’re Phil Foden. It is a good finish by Foden, but all the hard work is done by Kevin de Bruyne, as the ball comes right into his path. It is a David Beckham like cross.
Watch the perfect Kevin de Bruyne cross to Foden in the video below. You’d have to say that Kevin de Bruyne is the best crosser of the ball in the English Premier league. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold a close second.
A sublime delivery from Kevin de Bruyne to tee up Phil Foden. 🤌
📺 Peacock | #BREMCI pic.twitter.com/S591Bp6NTz
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 14, 2025
Now, if only Manchester City could hold onto a lead. Pep Guardiola is going to continue scratching at his face if they keep giving away a 2-0 leads!
Defenders can’t give Kevin de Bruyne that much time on the soccer ball. He is going to cause damage, find the open player.
Overall, if you’re a young soccer player learning how to cross the soccer ball, model how you cross the ball after Kevin de Bruyne. He makes it look so easy. However, thousands of hours of work went into perfecting this bending cross.
Interestingly, on Match day Live, former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown said this about Kevin de Bruyne’s performance.
“He waits in the buildup and then just drifts out into the areas he can be dangerous,” said Brown. “Only some people can see Phil Foden in that position for the first but De Bruyne anticipates where Foden is going to go. He fizzes it right across and Phil provides a great touch.”
It is incredibly helpful for Manchester City to have their best player back from injury, and in shape once again. It is a hallmark of world class players that they know how to find space. Some of the best soccer players in the world seem like they don’t care, or they’re not in the game. Then, all of a sudden, they found a pocket of space and play that killer pass or cross.
Thierry Henry said De Bruyne’s brain is the cleverest in football for this reason.
Lionel Messi, of course, is a master of this. Defenders thinking they have him under control and he’s not in a position to be dangerous.
Soccer pundits wonder why Messi walks during the game at times. When everybody else is rushing around on the field. The best players know how to pick their moments.
