Man, trying to play like Riquelme ain’t easy but here’s how my practice went down.
The Prep Work
First I watched Riquelme’s old game clips, focusing on that weird slow-mo vibe he had. Grabbed my boots and drove to the local park – solo session today. Important: you need cone markers.
Starting Simple
Set up cones in tight spaces. Practiced that signature first-touch cushioning by throwing the ball against the wall from different angles:
- Used my chest to deaden high balls like a pillow
- Trapped bouncers with the sole of my boot
- Let low passes just kiss the inside of my foot
Took 45 minutes just to consistently catch the ball without it bouncing away. Frustrating as hell.
The Pause Game
Made two cone gates 10 yards apart. Trained myself to:
- Receive pass between gates
- Freeze completely for 2 seconds (counting “one-Mississippi”)
- Then pass to imaginary teammate
My instinct was to rush – kept failing at step 2. But Riquelme always held that extra second before moving the ball. Felt unnatural like dancing in slow motion.
Vision Test
Placed six cones in scattered positions. While dribbling, I’d randomly pick two cones and pretend they were teammates making runs. Forced myself to:
- Turn shoulders before receiving
- Spot both “teammates” during my pause
- Pass to the one with more space behind their cone
Kept messing up by looking down at the ball instead of scanning around like a lighthouse. Stupid habit.
The Final Reality Check
Tried these moves in pickup game later. Failed miserably at first – dudes pressed me hard. But when I actually managed that pause? Suddenly saw passing lanes appearing like magic. Even completed two no-look passes while walking. Felt amazing! The key really is creating time instead of rushing. Still got miles to go though.
