Roberto Carlos scored 103 goals in 855 matches overall“I shall live and die at my post... I am the shield that guards the realms of men...” These words that make up part of The Night’s Watch oath (A Song of Ice and Fire: Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin) could well be the oath football defenders pledge to every time they step on the pitch to protect that coveted goal post.Quite often, the limelight and the spoils of a match are shared by the glamorous lot of forwards and midfielders – those who race across the pitch, dribble past opponents, lend their name to a joyful tear-inducing assist and those who ultimately carry the bride home i.e. score the goal – winning or otherwise. These are the players you remember rather than those who silently, albeit powerfully, form the wall that looks to thwart the goal scorers.But then there are moments when a defender, while performing his primary duty admirably, breaks through the ranks to emerge as the prime playmaker – either through a stunning solo run or by creating the goal through a timely assist. These are defenders who have carved a name for themselves not just as a reliable guardian in the D, but who can also take the attack to the opposition and score when the opportunity arises.From among the many such attacking guardians, we take a look at the five that particularly stand out, in no specific order.
#5 Daniel Agger
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It is not common today to find a footballer who will reject money and greater laurels due to unshakeable loyalty for his current club. It isn’t justified, either, to expect any footballer of this age to do so. Danish footballer Daniel Agger was built of a different make, though.
Having signed on for Liverpool in the year 2006 from his boyhood club Brondby IF, interest from teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona meant little to Agger. He spent eight years at Liverpool to then return to Brondby, earning him a permanent place in the heart of the Kopites. Injuries laid low a career that could have reached great heights and even though he had significant flaws, he was a technically gifted player in the central defence that helped him stand out among the rest.
Not only was he able to maintain clean sheets, but he was also good on the ball and had been known to have a fierce shot. His very first goal for Liverpool in 2006 against West Ham was an indication of this fierceness; as with the ball at his feet and the pitch open in front of him he let a 25-yard screamer shoot forth from him, sending the Scousers into a tizzy. The goal went on to be voted as Liverpool’s goal of the season.
#4 David Alaba
A name that slowly went from being hushed secretly to today being openly admired is that of Bayern Munich’s Austrian left-back and central midfielder, David Alaba. He was the youngest Austrian to debut for the national team at 17 years of age, has 11 trophies to his name, is one of the most important cogs of Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich squad and is astoundingly just 23 years old.
Fluid and versatile football gain new definitions through David Alaba, who has performed exceedingly well at different positions within the defence and midfield realm. He blossomed as a left-back at Bayern Munich earning much praise for the calmness with which he managed himself in that position. Under Pep Guardiola, Alaba got a chance to show his full range of skills in a manner that has left the world flabbergasted.
Lightning quick across the pitch, Alaba has slowly moved into a fluid central role of manning the defence as well as take the game head on as an attacking midfielder. The control demonstrated with the ball at his feet, his ability to stop and manoeuvre past the opposition’s players, dribble and score – from both close and long ranges – make him a complete player. His ability to provide just the perfect assists is one that can’t be talked about enough.
An intelligent player through and through, he creates chances where none exist, his pace and quick stop-and-pass moves bamboozling the opposition. The partnership he has formed with Franck Ribery can at the least be described as magical.
The run on the wide and the accurate pass to Ribery that led to the goal against AS Roma last year has been one of the highlights of their partnership and a clear example of the attacking role Alaba has matured in.
#3 David Luiz
A striking figure in the central defence of any team, David Luiz rose to fame during his tenure at Chelsea. Although mercurial and unpredictable, it cannot be denied that Luiz is prone to show moments of absolute brilliance – in defence as well as through his stunning long goals – the reason why PSG swooped over with a record fee of £50 million for a defender, June last year.
Averaging around 3.5-4.5 clearances and with a good tackle rate, too, Luiz seems to have put his ‘wild child’ days behind him by emerging as a leader figure in PSG’s ranks. Criticism over his performance against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals last year notwithstanding, it can’t be denied that Luiz does play an important part in his team’s overall performance.
Versatile to the T, his ability to switch gears from being a central defender to midfielder, pushing forward as part of the attack and having the immense confidence to score from a distance is what set him apart from other attacking defenders. His attacking and goal scoring abilities were there for all to see when he was part of a successful Chelsea squad, his long-distance rocket goal against Fulham in 2013 being one among his many memorable strikes.
A well-fed ball by Eden Hazard saw Luiz take control of the ball and slot in a powerful strike from around 35-yards, finding the back of the upper left corner of the goal and stunning Fulham’s goalkeeper and defence. That this goal came in his 100th appearance for the Blue added to the wow factor of the entire episode.
#2 Tony Adams
The legacy left behind by the inspirational Tony Adams at Arsenal is one that could fill pages of any comprehensive volume of work. There isn’t much that Adams didn’t achieve in his 19 years tenure with the senior Gunners, out of which 14 years he spent captaining the side.
An exemplary defender, of the 32 goals he scored for Arsenal, the one that remains the most memorable is his wonder strike against Everton in 1998, a match that saw the Gunners clinch the title safely with a 4-0 victory.
Arsenal was already three goals ahead when Everton lost possession around the half line and Adams, who had begun racing past Platt, Bould and Overmars, controlled the ball on his chest and with no defender in sight, swung his left foot to finish off that perfect goal.
#1 Roberto Carlos
He played in an era when Brazilian football had become synonymous with the names Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and yet, having played most of his career as a left-back, Roberto Carlos has definitely etched his name as one of the modern greats. Real Madrid’s then coach Vincent del Bosque had this to say of Carlos’ combined defensive and attacking abilities: “Roberto Carlos can cover the entire (left) wing all on his own.”
And the numbers vindicate del Bosque’s statement entirely. From a total of 855 matches, Carlos has a staggering 103 goals to his name. The nickname el hombre bala i.e. ‘the bullet man’ suits the diminutive Carlos due to his ability to scorch past the opposition’s defence as well due to his thunderbolt free-kicks. Most of Carlos’ goals, including his bending free-kicks, defy physics, but none more so than the ‘Improbable Goal’ of 1998.
February 21, 1998, during the Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and Tenerife, Roberto Carlos curled in a goal from the end line having just 0.820 of an approximate angle to score from. Mathematicians, go figure! With the ball running out of play and Carlos racing at full speed towards it, he managed working every aspect of physics into his favour as he kicked the outside of the ball perfectly with the inside of his left foot – the spin and curve on the ball nasty enough to slip past the Tenerife goalkeeper’s shocked-out-of-his-wits hands.
Carlos is credited with many such jaw-dropping goals, his free-kicks deserving an entirely separate article to do them justice. His speed, accurate long shots and crosses, acceleration and shot power make him an inspiration for left-backs around the world.
