Portland Timbers Claudio Bravo arms behind back defending on Carlos Vela. Yes, yes, this is all happening fast, but once again a defender is thinking about getting his arms behind his back before even trying to stop the attacker. And really, the first defender has to put the attacker under pressure. Make Vela think a bit more. Instead, Bravo is straightjacketing himself by worrying about a hand ball.
In the image above you can see Bravo starting to put his arms behind his back as he approaches Vela.
Professional soccer players are putting their arms behind their backs in league throughout the world. From the MLS to La Liga to the English Premier League. That half second it takes to put ones arms behind their backs could instead be used to try to actually block the shot or put more pressure on the shooter.
Carlos Vela placed this perfectly 🎯 pic.twitter.com/iYJZ8iaNiX
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 2, 2022
