The Center Back

A few weeks ago, Tyler, Knox’s dad, asked if I could explain the positions in more depth in an email. I said I was thinking of having a series of emails that focused on one position at a time. This begins those emails. We start with the center back position.

The majority of teams from the top leagues around the world play with a back four system. This means a defensive line of four defenders, “flat”, and have various roles for each of these four. The two backs guarding the wings are called wingbacks or fullbacks generally. The two guarding the middle of the pitch are center backs (highlighted below in red as 4 and 5).

In today’s game, the four play in a line across the field when on defense. When an opponent who has the ball comes close to one of them, the defender applies pressure. Below, you can see the ball carrier (11) on our right defensive side, thus provoking our right wingback (#2) to step towards the ball and apply pressure. Our right center back (#4) applies cover, blocking off space that might be dangerous for a pass to come through and being in a good space to apply pressure in case our right wingback gets beaten on the dribble. Our left center back (#5) and left wingback (#3) provide balance, meaning they hold the line to prevent an opposing striker from getting in behind the defense and offering a threatening passing option. They also make sure they’re in a position to step and pressure any lateral pass given from the opposing team.

There are different types of center backs, but most have an enforcer quality. They keep attacking players out of the box and are willing to make hard tackles when necessary. They bring a large presence with them, even if they’re not large in height or weight.

A center back has to organize the defensive line. They are constantly communicating with their wingback, other center back, and defensive midfielder to perform this feat. When done properly, it’s hard to break through the back four. They can jam an attack by trapping the opponent’s strikers and wingers offsides, create wedges in the middle of the field that are tough to penetrate, and push up to keep their opponents in their own half.

When the defense is disorganized, the line is not held together. A wingback or center back may be five or ten yards behind the line, thus keeping an attacking player onside and a through ball easily beats the defenders. This is a big problem.

Center backs are responsible for being the second attackers on the team. Within our philosophy of play, they receive the ball directly from the goalie and are tasked with passing the ball to the pivota (6 or defensive mid), attacking midfielder, or the wingbacks. Sometimes, they can even thread a pass to a striker, although this is much less likely.

Control is a keyword for our center backs. We need control in the back in order to stay competitive in a game. Without it, our attack breaks down and we are defending in front of our goal too much. Control can mean knowing when to pass the ball, dribble, and how to never lose the ball in the back. A center back is often the last line of defense to a one on one with the goalie. Their responsibility, therefore, is the greatest, and why they’re often the captain of their teams, as we’ll see below.

The center back is the most captained position in the top four leagues in the world (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A) at 36% of all teams, double that of the next highest captained position, center midfielders at 18%. It’s obvious, then, that this position requires leadership, boldness, a positive attitude, intelligence, admiration and reliance from teammates, and communication skills.

What do these qualities mean? Let’s start with leadership. Fabio Cannavaro, the great Italian center back, led Real Madrid to two consecutive Champions League titles and led Italy to a World Cup trophy in 2006. Here’s a video of Cannavaro playing Germany in the semi-finals. Notice the difference in height in the beginning of the video between Michael Ballack, captain and midfielder for Germany, and Cannavaro.

Usually, the physical qualities of a center back are big, strong, and tall. Cannavaro stood at 5’9” and 165 lbs but he played like he was twice that size. Always going into tackles strong, covering for midfielders who gave up the ball, active on both offense and defense, he was a reliable leader of every team he played on. He always played with a high intelligence, reading attacking players well and committing to his decisions on the pitch. By his aggressive nature, you could tell this is a guy who doesn’t second guess himself.

This is an example of one of the best center backs to ever play football. Another is Paolo Maldini. His ability to win the ball from attacking players with a slide tackle (and maintain possession of the ball while doing it) made him a legend at AC Milan. Not only known for his defending prowess, Maldini was a magician with the ball. It’s very hard to find a defender who can possess the ball like a midfielder and attack like a striker. Here is certainly an example of one. He was such a smart player that he was able to extend his professional career to 25 years, being one of only 18 players in history to have made 1,000 appearances.

His club, AC Milan, at the time one of the highest level teams, winning the Champions League 5 times (known as the European Cup back then) during Maldini’s career, kept him there his entire career. That’s not ordinary. Usually, when players age, they are sold off to lower level clubs. He continued to captain and start for the team until the age of 40. Maldini played with boldness, dribbling out from the back to help his team go on attack and timing slide tackles to win the ball back. He played with intelligence, knowing when to commit to the ball and when to stay back. He helped organize his national team to a record 5 consecutive game clean sheet in the World Cup.

Vincent Kompany and Virgil van Dijk are examples of modern day center backs who embody a positive attitude, admiration and reliance from teammates, and extraordinary communication skills. Both players captain(ed) their teams in such a way that their players believe in them. Kompany captained Manchester City to 4 premier league titles and a record breaking 18 wins in a row. Van Dijk was up for the Fifa Player of the Year last year (losing to Messi) and his team (Liverpool) may break Man City’s record winning streak in a few games.

Both of these players are mountains in the back. Without them, their team struggles (such as Man City this year). A player who is talented in the back with his feet, with his physicality, is great. When a player also has the mental and emotional capacities of an exceptional human being, you have a leader, someone who others follow, and a chance to achieve a lot in life, not just in football, but in all areas.

A soccer team with leaders like the above are remembered for long after they’re done playing. Often, leaders like these go into coaching or management roles within a club. They have minds that can’t stop giving to players, to the games, and to the fans that come out to watch.

A center back is, more than all other qualities, a leader of their team.

For players to practice at home every day - 10 minutes

Trapping, Inside of the Foot- 3-4 minutes

Toe Touches (Spinning) - 3-4 minutes

Pyramid Juggling - 3-4 minutes

See you tonight.