How to Play Like Kaka

If Cristiano plays with great speed and determination, and Messi plays in quick bursts on the dribble, cutting to right or left, then Kaka plays with a graceful style that’s hard to impersonate and define. We’re going to try though…pick up a few of Kaka’s traits and make them part of our game.

“Kaka’s magic is not the kind of sorcery born of flashy moves and baroque touches. It is the most special – and useful – magic, skill distilled to its most essential elements. Nothing is wasted, everything has a purpose.” – Gabriele Marcotti

Kaka is all about surprise, understatement and being prepared. His style is so smooth that from watching him you have a hard time figuring out how he’s able to beat players. Many times he’s ahead of the play though, turning before a defender realizes he’s going to turn, or bursting down the line before anyone can catch him.

So, how do you play like Kaka? If there’s one thing you can do it’s think about how you are going to receive the soccer ball, beat a player, or make the pass before anyone else. Kaka plays simple soccer, laying the ball off when nothing is on, but will play that killer pass when he’s on the break.

Kaka’s best qualities that you should adopt if you want to play like him:

• Attacks the space on the dribble when it’s there.
• Is usually half turned with his body open to the field, looking forward.
• Has a subtle change of pace, will surprise you with his speed.
• Can score with both his feet and his head and on the volley.
• Strikes from distance when the chance is there.
• Uses his body to shield the ball and will fight to keep it.
• Plays simple one and two touch soccer.

If there’s a play that epitomizes Kaka, it’s where he heads the ball between two Manchester United defenders, Heinze and Evra, before slotting the ball home. The goal comes at the 2:32 mark in the video below.

If there was one player that stood out at the end of the Confederations Cup it was Kaka. He slowly but surely led Brazil back from being down 2 goals at half time to the United States, to beating the Yanks 3-2 and winning the trophy for his country. It was his steady play, his ability to turn and play those dangerous balls across the goalmouth that led Brazil back and enabled them to claim victory.

However, Kaka is surprisingly fast and strong for someone who is tall and lanky. Kaka is tall for a soccer player in general, and more so for an attacking midfielder, at 6 feet and 1 inches. Kaka is also still very young too, at just 26 years old, and no surprise that Real Madrid wanted to sign him from AC Milan and Manchester City were willing to offer him such an incredible sum if he’d join their side over the winter break.

Is it really fair though to have Cristiano and Kaka on the same team? Both players were recently introduced as the new Galacticos (Superstar). Real Madrid is going to be a joy to watch, and the gran clasico, simply amazing.

It’s understood that Kaka commonly strikes the killer pass. It is known that he can score goals. He of course can juggle as many times as he wants. He’ll even help sell a TV or two for Sony, if they pay him enough. But he’s perhaps most famous for his ability to turn with the ball when a defender is marking him, which he does with an effortlessness all his own.

Kaka started out playing in Brazil for Sao Paulo, scoring 23 goals. He then moved on to AC Milan, where he played for six years and scored 70 goals. He now starts a new era at Real Madrid.

Kaka had a big scare when he was 18, when in a swimming pool accident (I’m assuming diving into a shallow pool) he nearly suffered paralysis due to a spinal fracture. He has given God the credit for being able to overcome this accident and continue to play the game he loves.

If there’s a quality that sticks out in Kaka it’s the way he gets his teammates to play better, again, a common trait in great players. But Kaka is also humble, and acknowledges that he would be able to do what he does without his teammates.

Kaka is also known to wear his ‘I’m Belong to Jesus’ T-Shirt after a game or under his shirt – pulling up his jersey to display the words after he scores a goal.

Kaka’s “I Belong to Jesus” T-Shirt

Most will never play like Kaka, but you can try, and if you get even close to playing like him, then the sky’s the limit. However, it might just take a miracle from God to play exactly like him. Start praying. And start spending more time with the ball. And maybe get a t-shirt you can wear under your soccer jersey that says, “I Belong to Jesus”.