This high school scored off a free kick by fooling their opponents with ‘ring around the rosie’

It’s like something out of a movie ...

A high school in Japan executed the kind of free kick normally reserved for movies. Takagawa Gakuen High School scored on Wednesday by doing ... this.

In the history of unorthodox free-kick routines, Ring-a-Ring o Roses is a new one. Bravo, Takagawa Gakuen High School. pic.twitter.com/sQPkqYtPAC

— Dave Phillips (@lovefutebol) December 29, 2021

It’s without a doubt the greatest set piece based on a children’s nursery rhyme about the bubonic plague. I don’t know if the team practiced this ahead of time, but you can see why it worked. With all the attackers circling each other the defense isn’t really sure how to mark their man, standing in a line and just waiting. To make things more confusing, there’s no way of knowing when the attack will launch, and when they finally break from the formation it creates momentary chaos, as everyone tries to find their guy.

From here it’s really academic, the eventual scorer is completely lost in the shuffle while two defenders mark the same man — allowing him to sneak through the back door and head it in.

I’m sure there are purists out there seething at this kind of trickery, but sports are ALWAYS better when there are trick plays, and this is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.