Stopper-back Advancing
Football, the beautiful game, is one of the most popular games on Planet Earth. If soccer were a religion, it would have been the one with the largest number of followers. A footballer is virtually worshipped by his fans throughout his career and if fortunate later also. Among them, forwards/strikers enjoy the liberties and privileges of stardom the most. In my opinion defenders are the unsung heroes of the game.
The main duties of a defender include defending his side, feeding the ball to the midfield and forwards, getting scolded by the goalkeeper, and crippling the opponent forwards. How much good an individual you are, you cannot escape the sin of committing fouls. It's part of a defender's job. When a smart fellow dribbles past you, you are expected to make him fall, if the situation demands you. The important part is not only you have to trip him, but you have to do it in such a manner that the umpires do not see you committing that heinous crime. If by chance they see, there is little chance you escape the card. So in a way, the life of a defender is more suicidal than any other player in the team. I have hardly heard a defender been praised for saving a goal by tripping an opponent and getting himself booked in that process. So life is pretty hard for this bunch of guys. Still, they play their role without complaints.
Even though they are not supposed to score goals, defenders should be equally or fitter than forwards. If a forward manages to pass the defender with the ball, a defender has to make a burst after him to get the ball or prevent him from making a cross or pass and if inevitable trip him down. While doing this, you are supposed to be really tough with the opponent. It's an act that is partially psychological as well. Once he succeeds in passing you, his morale gets boosted and yours lowered. So the fight is not for the ball alone, but for a psychological hegemony. A defender is expected to treat the forward as a kid to be bullied. So you are supposed to wear the looks of a real bully. Body language should be highly aggressive and intimidating. The ability to anticipate a move is essential for a good defender. He should have a clear idea about the position of opponent strikers as well as his teammates. Because even after regaining the possession of the ball, he should feed that to his side without mistake. A mis-pass from a defender near the post is more dangerous and costly than one by the forward in front of the opponent's goalmouth. In fact, defenders are the players who have got more responsibilities than any other player in the team.
Defenders are forced to play ugly football when it comes to defending corner-kicks. They have to run after the forwards who are trying to be free in the penalty area. Once the kick is taken they have to make sure that the attackers are not getting the ball. For this they have to pull the striker's shorts down, the moment he rises to head the ball. This has to be done with great precision and finesse. A mistiming can cause havoc like a penalty in favor of the opponents. Another ugly tactic is to place your foot on top of the foot of the forward who is about to jump. Here also the timing is a crucial factor. How much gentlemanly you are in your real life, to be a successful defender you need to learn and apply these dirty tricks to survive in the field.
There are some embarrassing moments in the life of every defender. One is the moment while he is being "nutmegged". Nutmegging may be art as far as forwards are concerned. But it's always a nightmare for defenders. Nutmegging is the act of passing the ball between the legs of a person facing the person with the ball. All novice defenders will at least once in their career become victims of nutmegging. Out of the natural urge to prevent a forward from making a pass, the defender would put his legs a little apart while moving towards the attacker. The opponent will then give a timely push to the ball through space in between the defender's leg and run past him. By the time the defender realizes what had happened and takes a turn, the forward would have succeeded in what he was there for. Besides the shame of being defeated, more humiliating is the way you were made to look like a fool.
Many defenders have become very famous and successful, despite the normally less colorful life of a defender. But they don't belong to the genesis of pure defenders. They are the new age attacking defenders or the defenders who are very good at attacking. These defenders can be seen throughout the field in the 90 minutes of the game. You can see them in the attacking spearhead formation as well as in the defending fortress. To be an attacking defender means you have to be physically really fit with a tremendous amount of stamina and power. An attacking defender is expected to run short distances of 20-70 meters really fast throughout the game. But many forget their prime duty i.e., defending when overpowered by the sheer ecstasy they obtain from scoring or helping to score goals. So attacking defenders may win cheers from the crowd but sometimes fail to perform their real job.
The goalkeepers, especially senior ones, vent out their anger and frustration on the defenders. They call out names and shout to the defenders if they fail to mark a striker intruding into the penalty area. The defenders are supposed to hear and bear that as part of their job. This happens while defending a corner kick also. If the goalie finds an attacker straying in the goal area unmarked, the defender next to him should plug his ears. Even the goalkeeper gets some sort of recognition when he makes a save. On the other hand, when a defender makes a good tackle and gains possession of the ball, the entire team and the spectators take it for granted. After all, it's his job to do that. And when he makes a miss and that results in a goal, he would be cursed throughout his life. The whole world forgets that he is also a human and the fact that to err is human.
The worst nightmare of a defender is a self-goal. One has to be in the penalty box to realize the sheer pressure one experiences while defending. Most of the time, you have a gut feeling that the goal is imminent. In situations like that, you just try really hard to avoid that goal. You try your level best to divert that goal and in the struggle, there are possibilities of a self-goal. A forward can have more control over the ball as he's shooting that to the post. But a defender, besides the pressure of the imminent goal, has to deflect the ball that comes with a sheer pace and in most cases with a swerve too. So there are chances of the ball being deflected to the unexpected direction from the defender's foot. But there is no excuse for that costly mistake. You may even lose your life if you happen to commit a self-goal. Escobar of Columbia was shot dead for being responsible for a self-goal.
So in all respects, the life of a defender is tough and less rewarding. But still, more and more players are coming up to play the position of a defender, despite the risks associated with the position. Most of them are aware of the risks and dangers involved in being a defender. But the beauty of the game is very much enchanting and the urge to play it is just irresistible. Defenders, the less praised members of the 11-member squad continue to play, despite the brickbats they receive. After all, the show must go on.
The main duties of a defender include defending his side, feeding the ball to the midfield and forwards, getting scolded by the goalkeeper, and crippling the opponent forwards. How much good an individual you are, you cannot escape the sin of committing fouls. It's part of a defender's job. When a smart fellow dribbles past you, you are expected to make him fall, if the situation demands you. The important part is not only you have to trip him, but you have to do it in such a manner that the umpires do not see you committing that heinous crime. If by chance they see, there is little chance you escape the card. So in a way, the life of a defender is more suicidal than any other player in the team. I have hardly heard a defender been praised for saving a goal by tripping an opponent and getting himself booked in that process. So life is pretty hard for this bunch of guys. Still, they play their role without complaints.
Even though they are not supposed to score goals, defenders should be equally or fitter than forwards. If a forward manages to pass the defender with the ball, a defender has to make a burst after him to get the ball or prevent him from making a cross or pass and if inevitable trip him down. While doing this, you are supposed to be really tough with the opponent. It's an act that is partially psychological as well. Once he succeeds in passing you, his morale gets boosted and yours lowered. So the fight is not for the ball alone, but for a psychological hegemony. A defender is expected to treat the forward as a kid to be bullied. So you are supposed to wear the looks of a real bully. Body language should be highly aggressive and intimidating. The ability to anticipate a move is essential for a good defender. He should have a clear idea about the position of opponent strikers as well as his teammates. Because even after regaining the possession of the ball, he should feed that to his side without mistake. A mis-pass from a defender near the post is more dangerous and costly than one by the forward in front of the opponent's goalmouth. In fact, defenders are the players who have got more responsibilities than any other player in the team.
Defenders are forced to play ugly football when it comes to defending corner-kicks. They have to run after the forwards who are trying to be free in the penalty area. Once the kick is taken they have to make sure that the attackers are not getting the ball. For this they have to pull the striker's shorts down, the moment he rises to head the ball. This has to be done with great precision and finesse. A mistiming can cause havoc like a penalty in favor of the opponents. Another ugly tactic is to place your foot on top of the foot of the forward who is about to jump. Here also the timing is a crucial factor. How much gentlemanly you are in your real life, to be a successful defender you need to learn and apply these dirty tricks to survive in the field.
There are some embarrassing moments in the life of every defender. One is the moment while he is being "nutmegged". Nutmegging may be art as far as forwards are concerned. But it's always a nightmare for defenders. Nutmegging is the act of passing the ball between the legs of a person facing the person with the ball. All novice defenders will at least once in their career become victims of nutmegging. Out of the natural urge to prevent a forward from making a pass, the defender would put his legs a little apart while moving towards the attacker. The opponent will then give a timely push to the ball through space in between the defender's leg and run past him. By the time the defender realizes what had happened and takes a turn, the forward would have succeeded in what he was there for. Besides the shame of being defeated, more humiliating is the way you were made to look like a fool.
Many defenders have become very famous and successful, despite the normally less colorful life of a defender. But they don't belong to the genesis of pure defenders. They are the new age attacking defenders or the defenders who are very good at attacking. These defenders can be seen throughout the field in the 90 minutes of the game. You can see them in the attacking spearhead formation as well as in the defending fortress. To be an attacking defender means you have to be physically really fit with a tremendous amount of stamina and power. An attacking defender is expected to run short distances of 20-70 meters really fast throughout the game. But many forget their prime duty i.e., defending when overpowered by the sheer ecstasy they obtain from scoring or helping to score goals. So attacking defenders may win cheers from the crowd but sometimes fail to perform their real job.
The goalkeepers, especially senior ones, vent out their anger and frustration on the defenders. They call out names and shout to the defenders if they fail to mark a striker intruding into the penalty area. The defenders are supposed to hear and bear that as part of their job. This happens while defending a corner kick also. If the goalie finds an attacker straying in the goal area unmarked, the defender next to him should plug his ears. Even the goalkeeper gets some sort of recognition when he makes a save. On the other hand, when a defender makes a good tackle and gains possession of the ball, the entire team and the spectators take it for granted. After all, it's his job to do that. And when he makes a miss and that results in a goal, he would be cursed throughout his life. The whole world forgets that he is also a human and the fact that to err is human.
The worst nightmare of a defender is a self-goal. One has to be in the penalty box to realize the sheer pressure one experiences while defending. Most of the time, you have a gut feeling that the goal is imminent. In situations like that, you just try really hard to avoid that goal. You try your level best to divert that goal and in the struggle, there are possibilities of a self-goal. A forward can have more control over the ball as he's shooting that to the post. But a defender, besides the pressure of the imminent goal, has to deflect the ball that comes with a sheer pace and in most cases with a swerve too. So there are chances of the ball being deflected to the unexpected direction from the defender's foot. But there is no excuse for that costly mistake. You may even lose your life if you happen to commit a self-goal. Escobar of Columbia was shot dead for being responsible for a self-goal.
So in all respects, the life of a defender is tough and less rewarding. But still, more and more players are coming up to play the position of a defender, despite the risks associated with the position. Most of them are aware of the risks and dangers involved in being a defender. But the beauty of the game is very much enchanting and the urge to play it is just irresistible. Defenders, the less praised members of the 11-member squad continue to play, despite the brickbats they receive. After all, the show must go on.
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