By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich's David Alaba must feel like he's in paradise as football experts around the world are increasingly praising the importance of free-kicks.
Some even say dead-ball situations are the key to success in modern football. The Vienna-born left-back has adored the art of free kicks ever since his early years and seems to have developed into one of the world's best in a skill some regard as a science.
Some remember the Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos who was said to be able to bend the ball around a corner if necessary. Alaba seems to be becoming the role model for all free-kick takers. Augsburg's goalkeeper will have stay on his toes whenever the Austrian takes aim in their Bundesliga match this evening.
Capped 64 times for his country, Alaba's improvement is said to have reached a worrying level as he appears to have honed his skills to perfection. "His free kicks are very dangerous for every goalkeeper as the ball flutters the whole time," former Bayern Munich midfielder and German international Lothar Matthaeus said after Alaba recently scored a stunning free-kick.
His dead-ball qualities might have been one reasons why Paris St Germain and their German coach Thomas Tuchel made an offer for Alaba this summer. It didn't take long for Bayern Munich club leaders to reject the bid. Left-backs of Alaba's class are rare in football.
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann recently used the word "evil" when describing his evening having to defuse Alaba's rocket-like shots. "A goalkeeper can only keep out the ball with a fair amount of luck. You can't estimate the ball's flight path which means you can only react very late," the goalkeeper said.
Faehrmann's theory sounds like a scientific formula: "The longer the ball is in the air, the longer one has to think about where it will end up and can cause the most confusion," the Schalke professional said."You first make a step to the right, then to the left and in the end you are late."
It seemed like the ball was being steered randomly making it able to continually change direction. It was easier to save a shot from just outside the box rather than from 30 or 40 meters out. Alaba has been practicing free kicks since his was a child and admitted that he is continually trying to improve.
The captain of the Austrian national team makes no secret of his love of taking free kicks but says Bayern Munich can count on several good free-kick takers like star striker Robert Lewandowski. Observers of Bayern Munich training sessions regularly see Alaba and other teammates continuing to practice free-kicks after training has finished.
Alaba and his colleagues look like young scientists trying to invent new almost impossible flight paths to deceive the goalkeeper. Schalke's managing director Christian Heidel recently predicted Bayern won't lose a league game all season. Even if the team has an off day, it still has Alaba and his unique free kicks.
