5 of the most creative set-piece routines

#3 Brolin hides in the wall

The most well-known way of defending a free-kick – particularly one that looks likely to be a shot on goal – is by forming a defensive wall. The defending players tend to line up in the sight of the possible shot, looking to deflect the ball while also providing crucial protection for the goalkeeper, who obviously needs to be able to see the shot coming. But in 1994 World Cup, Swedish attacker Tomas Brolin found a way to use Romania’s defensive wall against them.

Recognised as one of Sweden’s more inventive forwards, Brolin had shot to fame by scoring a spectacular goal against England in the 1992 edition of the European Championships. But this free-kick routine was arguably even better. The Quarter-Final match between Sweden and Romania was deep into the second half with the teams deadlocked at 0-0 when Sweden were given a free-kick on the right side of the box.

Romania’s wall lined up, ready to deflect a shot or cross, but failed to notice Brolin lurking slap bang in the middle of them. A dummy allowed a low pass to be slid into the box, and suddenly Brolin spun away from the wall, catching the defence completely off guard, and fired a right-footed shot into the back of the net. This classic set-piece led to an eventual 2-2 draw, with Sweden winning on penalties, but it was by far the most memorable goal of the tie.