Gio Reyna gave USA fans a World Cup moment to remember in the opening 4-1 win over Paraguay.

Deep into stoppage time, after a long spell of possession, Alex Freeman found Reyna in the box. One touch, one flash of technique, and Reyna curled the ball into the top corner with the outside of his boot.

It was a finish worthy of the world stage. Here is how to recreate it at home.

The Moment

Yes, the goal came at the end of a 26-pass move. But the part everyone will remember is the finish.

Reyna had almost no time to think. The ball arrived, the angle was tight, and the goalkeeper was set. A simple side-foot shot would have been easier, but it probably would not have beaten the keeper.

Instead, Reyna used the outside of his boot to wrap the ball away from the goalkeeper and into the far top corner. It was quick, instinctive, and technically brilliant.

That is the skill to practise.

The Finish: The Trivela

Reyna’s finish was a trivela: an outside-of-the-boot strike that bends away from the goalkeeper. It is the kind of technique that looks effortless when it comes off, but it takes repetition to get right.

Set up your QUICKPLAY KICKSTER or Q-FOLD goal and mark a shooting spot just outside the box. Start slightly off-centre, so you are not shooting straight at goal. That angle helps recreate the shape of Reyna’s finish.

Use the outside of your foot and strike across the ball, following through across your body. Think about wrapping your foot around the outside edge of the ball rather than driving straight through the middle of it.

Start close to goal. At first, focus on clean contact and shape. Once the curl becomes more consistent, move the ball a few steps further back and add more power.

Power comes after technique. A hard shot with poor contact will usually fly wide. A cleaner trivela gives the ball that curling shape toward the corner.

Make It Feel Like the Real Goal

Once players are comfortable with the trivela technique, add a QUICKPLAY rebounder to create the first-touch setup before the shot.

Place the rebounder around five yards from the goal, slightly to one side so the ball comes back at an angle. Pass into the rebounder, take the return with one touch, then shoot with the next.

Keep it simple:

Pass into the rebounder.
Take one touch out of your feet.
Hit the trivela into the corner.

The rebounder keeps the drill moving and makes it feel more like a real chance arriving in the box. Reyna did not stop, adjust, and take three touches before shooting. The ball came in, the touch set the angle, and the trivela finish followed quickly.

For younger players, bring the rebounder closer and allow an extra touch before shooting. The priority is clean contact with the outside of the foot.

For older or more confident players, make it a two-touch challenge: one touch from the rebounder to set the ball, one touch to bend the trivela into the corner.

Backyard Challenge

Set yourself a Reyna Finish Challenge.

Can you score three outside-of-the-boot finishes into the same corner?
Can you do it with both feet?
Can you do it after a rebounder pass?
Can you move the ball further back and still keep the curl?

This is the kind of goal that rewards repetition. The more times players practise the contact, the more natural it starts to feel.

Keep the Momentum Going

The group stage is only just getting started, and after a 4-1 opening win, USA fans already have a goal worth recreating.

Browse the QUICKPLAY goals collection and make sure your backyard setup is ready for the rest of the tournament.