Usain Bolt | Vital Football

Usain Bolt

PerthImp

Vital Football Hero
Playing today for Hyunda A League side Central Coast Mariners in a pre-season game against a team representing south west Sydney - they are a new team, composed of players from other teams, backed by businessmen trying to persuade the A League to expand next year. Bolt is trying to earn a pro contract for CCM in the A League. Played his first game out wide but apparently asked to play more centrally today - he's playing a central striker role. Played 75 mins and just come off. First half he was enthusiastic and showed one or two good bits of control but his first touch let him down a couple of times and he missed a couple of chances that more experienced strikers might have buried. My main criticism was his movement off the ball and his lack of putting pressure on defenders, but I don't know what instructions he was playing to. Fair play to him, he came out second half and looked a bit more the business. Still a bit naive and inexperienced at times with his positional sense, but he scored two goals before being subbed. The first was a cracker. He received the ball in a one v one with a defender and used his strength well to hold him off, get into the box a struck a sweet left foot shot low into the near post. The second was a purely opportunistic goal - defender and goalkeeper got in a tangle and the ball fell to Bolt on his own infront of goal to tap in. Encouraging performance and as he himself has said, its a one-year project to get into pro football. Good luck to him if he is good enough. The end result was 4 - 0 to CCM.
 
does he look
Playing today for Hyunda A League side Central Coast Mariners in a pre-season game against a team representing south west Sydney - they are a new team, composed of players from other teams, backed by businessmen trying to persuade the A League to expand next year. Bolt is trying to earn a pro contract for CCM in the A League. Played his first game out wide but apparently asked to play more centrally today - he's playing a central striker role. Played 75 mins and just come off. First half he was enthusiastic and showed one or two good bits of control but his first touch let him down a couple of times and he missed a couple of chances that more experienced strikers might have buried. My main criticism was his movement off the ball and his lack of putting pressure on defenders, but I don't know what instructions he was playing to. Fair play to him, he came out second half and looked a bit more the business. Still a bit naive and inexperienced at times with his positional sense, but he scored two goals before being subbed. The first was a cracker. He received the ball in a one v one with a defender and used his strength well to hold him off, get into the box a struck a sweet left foot shot low into the near post. The second was a purely opportunistic goal - defender and goalkeeper got in a tangle and the ball fell to Bolt on his own infront of goal to tap in. Encouraging performance and as he himself has said, its a one-year project to get into pro football. Good luck to him if he is good enough. The end result was 4 - 0 to CCM.

Hows his pace?
 
A bit quick, as you'd expect, when he got the chance but he was slower 'in the head' to anticipate the best way to use it sometimes, if that makes sense? Mark Bosnich was the main pundit and he didn't seem as convinced as some others that Bolt has what it takes. I've definitely seen worse (as you would expect from someone watching Imps strikers over 48 years), especially from someone who has little or no real football experience, beyond playing the game as a kid
 
I watched it pleased he scored and happy hes giving it a go . Dont think he will get a deal but fair play to him for giving it a go and seems down to earth .first touch let him down a few times maybe due to his stride getting into a normal sprint mode . Bought some fans into the atmosphere as well
 
Not in the first two three yards as he doesn't have that explosive start - his pace has to build (as it does in sprinting) but over more than 5 yards plus I'd say probably, yes. Was definitely great with the fans - gave them a lot of time for autographs & selfies after he came off & at the end of the game.