Playing the movie of your best game in your head - before it actually happens.
Visualization (also called mental imagery) is picturing yourself doing something in your mind. It's like watching a video of yourself playing - except you create it, and you make it go exactly how you want.
It works best when you make it feel real: don't just see it, hear it and feel it too. Feel the touch of the ball on your foot, hear your teammates, see the goal. Your brain treats it like the real thing when you use all your senses.
Find a quiet spot, sit or lie down, and close your eyes. Take one slow breath to settle.
Picture it through your own eyes - like you're really there, not watching from the stands.
Add the senses: the colour of the grass, the sound of the game, the feel of the ball, your breathing.
See it go well. Picture yourself performing to your best - and feel the emotion that comes with it.
Rehearse the tough moments too - picture something going wrong, then see yourself responding well: calm, reset, strong next action.
Keep it short (4-5 minutes) and replay the moments that are most important to you.
Close your eyes and picture this: "The ball comes, my first touch takes me towards the goal. I feel calm and composed. I look up to see the goalkeeper. I plant my foot next to the ball, strike it cleanly low and hard across goal. I score."
Feel your feet on the pitch, hear your teammates, and most importantly - feel confident and ready. Now you've already seen yourself score before kickoff.