We are just three days into 2023 and a high school football team in Japan have already pulled off the worst free-kick routine of the year. Step forward, the 'Ring a Ring o' Roses' move.
Takagawa Gakuen High School, a side who have been known to experiment when it comes to set-pieces, were 2-0 down against Higashiyama at this month's Japan High School Soccer Tournament when the bizarre set-piece took place.
As you can see in the footage below, three Takagawa players can be seen standing next to the ball as the opposition prepare to defend the free-kick.
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Then, in a bizarre sequence, the trio skip in a circle while holding hands for a solid few seconds.
It's fair to say the routine didn't go to plan. After running in a line to distract their opponent, the third player eventually decided to shoot but the ball trickled out of play.
One fan reacted to clip by saying: "My dream is to get paid to draw up plays like this for a professional sport team," while another commented: "Ted Lasso Season 3, 2023."
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A third wrote: "What in the Ring a Ring a Roses is this?"
The All Japan High School Soccer Tournament of Japan, which is commonly known as 'Winter Kokuritsu', is an annual nationwide high school featuring 48 teams.
The two-week tournament takes place in December and January, and is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan. So there's no hiding when a set-piece doesn't go to plan.
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That being said, during last year's tournament, Takagawa Gakuen High School managed to pull off a far more successful free-kick routine when they faced Seiryo High School.
The amateur side secured a 4-2 win that day, with one of their goals being a superb header from a set-piece that was labelled 'genius' by many.
As two players stood over the ball, the rest of the attackers skipped in a circle while holding hands for a few seconds – just like they did against Higashiyama this week.
They soon rushed forward to take up different positions, with the Seiryo defenders confused by what was happening.
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Takagawa took advantage when one of their players headed home at the far post. How good is this?
Thoughts on the free-kick routine?
Let us know in the comments.
Jack Kenmare