‘Losers’ go home’ By Ba Ipe Special to BusinessMirror Feb. 9, 2012 Football is a fascinating game played by fascinating players in the most fascinating ways. They use their feet, and occasionally, their heads and torsos in an action-packed game played without timeouts in two halves of 45 minutes each. The fascinating aspect stems mainly from the unfettered teamwork of players, who play the game like a well-oiled machine. There is no dull moment in football, especially when two great teams meet. Those series of crispy passes that lead to a goal, or those hard tackles and interceptions that become counterattacks, or those huge kicks from the midfield that swoosh through the goal and net, or the ubiquitous but dangerous acrobatic saves goalkeepers perform with utmost regularity, or those unpredictable crosses that midfielders feed to strikers - these are among the stuff that make football interesting – or enthralling. The language of football is audacity - the drive to outwit, outsprint, and outscore the other team. It is to waylay the opposing team down the path. It is an ambush to beat the opponent. Timidity has no place in football. The team that plays timid loses the game. In football, the rule is simple: Losers go home. *** Football is a simple game with simple rules. Competing teams field 11 players, who play four positions that require specialized skills. A player can be striker; midfielder, defender, or goalkeeper. But these positions are not mutually exclusive. Strikers, or forwards, are those players, who are nearest to the goal. Their job is to score goals. Usually fleet-footed, skillful strikers strike terror into the hearts of the goalkeepers and players of the opposing teams. Defenders are players, who stay in the back mainly to stop the players of the opposing team from scoring. They are good tacklers when on the defensive. On the offensive, they could run the ball to give it to the midfielders and strikers. Midfielders are those players, who are in between the strikers and the defenders. Playing like point guards in a basketball game, the midfielders act as the playmakers, creating opportunities for the strikers to score. The goalkeepers tend the goal to prevent the opposing team from scoring goals. They are the only players, who are allowed to use their hands in the game. They use their hands to stop the ball from swooshing the net. They possess good lateral skills. Over the years, various position variants have developed, as the game progresses into new heights. Now, the midfielder could either be an attacking midfielder, who helps the strikers to score, or a defensive midfielder, who assists the defenders to stop the other team from scoring. A forward can be a playmaking striker, who provides the passes to other players, while a defender can be an attacking defender who does not limit himself to the back, as he goes deep into the field to help the strikers and midfielders. *** Retired Brazilian striker Pele, the “king of football,” was the perfect example of a playmaking forward; he was probably the best of his kind. At his prime, Pele was unstoppable. He did not only score goals, but provided crispy – or game-clinching – passes, enabling his teammates to play better football. He was the complete player; pundits noted his play did not have any weakness, as he played the game with enormous talent and skill, making him probably the greatest football player of all time. Retired Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff was an example of a versatile player, who played forward but was at his best as a playmaking midfielder. In the 1970s, Cruyff personified total football as he played the field in almost any position. French midfielder Michel Platini has been hailed as probably the greatest attacking midfielder with his great dribbling, passing, and scoring skills – all rolled into one. Retired French midfielder Zinedine Zidane was another example of an attacking midfielder, who did not only feed the ball to his teammates, but scored too. Zidane was a prolific scorer too; his huge kicks from the midfield were legendary. Other attacking midfielders include the Brazilian internationals Rai, Ronaldhino, and Kaka, all of whom have gained international prominence by playing football in the lucrative European market. Retired German defender Franz Beckenbauer gained prominence as the international footballer, who practically reinvented the position of defender. He went deep into the opponent’s court, becoming an attacking defender. For his feat, Beckenbauer has been called “der Kaiser” by the football world, the same description he carries in retirement. Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos played the same way as Beckenbauer, gaining international prominence for his gutsy play as the left-footed wingman, who dribbled the ball down the field. Retired Brazilian Cafu was his counterpart, who played the right wingman in the Brazilian national team. *** Defenders are usually taller and heftier than any other players on the field. They are also talented pugilists, who give the opposing players good tackles to keep them off-footed while trying to score goals. Retired English defender Sol Campbell was a perfect example of a big and tall center defender, who dominated the back. Brazilian defender Lucio, who captained the 2010 Brazilian national team, is an imposing figure at the back. The same was true with the retired Brazilian defender Aldair, who terrorized the opposing team with its timely tackles and ability to cover a wider space. But not all defenders are tall and hefty. Retired Italian defenders Franco Baresi and Fabio Canavaro stood about 5 feet, 9 inches with lean built, but they were regarded as the finest defenders of their time because of their ability to tackle those quick-moving forwards and midfielders. Baresi and Cannavaro are both revered in Italy, where they played their entire careers. English defender John Terry is another case of a successful medium-sized defender. *** Just like the defenders, goalkeepers, or goalies, should be tall too, as height is a big factor to enable them to cover a big area, which is the goal. They usually possess excellent lateral skills to block those shots. Goalies therefore are difficult to find because they have to quick and tall at the same time. But not all goalies are tall. Retired Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos stood at about 5 feet, six inches, but his excellent leaping ability and speed compensated for his lack of height. He was the smallest goalkeeper, who had gained international prominence, while playing for Mexico in the international tournaments and for local teams. Retired French goalie Fabien Barthez stood a little less than six feet, but he too excelled. He was the starting goalkeeper of the French national team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Barthez, notorious for his eccentric playing ways, became famous for his wonderful saves. Retired American goalkeeper Tony Meola stood at about six feet, but like Campos and Barthez possessed adequate leaping ability. Who says height and heft are important in football?
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:19:46 +0000
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