Centre forward. It is the most glamourous position in the world's most popular sport. Everyday all over the globe-from Copacabana beach, Brazil to the void decks of Singapore-youngsters in their kickabouts dream of emulating the likes of Thierry Henry and Andrei Shevchenko. Few want to be the next Alessandro Nesta or John Terry. For them it is all about the glory of scoring goals. Insofar as the game today has necessitated that strikers shoulder some defensive responsibilities, the raison d'etre of the modern centre forward is to put the ball into the opposition goalmouth.
The art of scoring goals is not an esoteric discipline. Rate highly in the following footballing qualities-off the ball movement, goalscoring instinct, physical prowess, technique- and one has gained a tiny foothold on the journey to become a world-class striker. And yes, a little help from Lady Luck along the way would be most welcome.
Movement Off the Ball
During the course of a football match, the eyes of a novice observer are usually glued to the ball and the player who has it. On the other hand, a more seasoned watcher would also study closely other players moving into space to receive a potential pass. A top notch striker who rates highly in the attribute of off the ball movement is able to anticipate through balls from his colleagues and change position accordingly. In other words, the Ideal Striker is a superb reader of the game-this is what the legendary Johan Cruyff coined as game intelligence. And no team better exemplifies this highly desirable footballing trait than Hungary's Golden Team, the Aranycsapat.
On a historic November afternoon in 1953, Planet Football was treated to a spectacle of play never seen before. The scoreline of the England-Hungary match, 3-6 is well known. One of the chief reason for England's humiliation is the adroit moving into goalscoring positions of Hungary's forward line. The England rearguard committed the cardinal sin-of only ball watching and not keeping an eye of the movement of the Maygars not in possession. Hungary's attacking quintet of Budai, Kocsis, Hidegkuti, Puskas and Czibor, with their constant movement off the ball, showed the world how to exploit space to get into optimal positions. This, allied with one of the game's forgotten weapon, the wall pass flummoxed the English completely and brought about their downfall. Fifty years on, top coaches still show their charges the video of the epic England-Hungary encounter during the theoretical lesson of "Off the Ball Movement 101".
The Goalscoring Instinct
Having intelligent movement off the ball and possessing the goalscoring instinct are two sides of the same coin. For many aficionados of the offensive arts, instinct-an abstract concept- is critical. It is part of a forward's game that cannot be taught. According to Mateja Kezman who used to top the goalscoring charts in Holland:"I believe I was born a striker. Defenders and midfielders can be trained, the knack of scoring goals is something you have or you don't." Part of that knack is being in the right place in the right time-sixth sense possessed by players like Gerd Muller that saw him, often as not, in the perfect spot as the ball ran free. Think Hernan Crespo and his poacher's goal against Manchester United in the Champions League recently.
Der Bomber's goalscoring instinct was legendary. He was often in the ideal shooting position. He could also score with any part of his body except for the hands. There was once when he scored with his backside. Muller explained: "I already had an instinct for scoring goals when I was younger. It's something you just can't learn. I simply tended to react more quickly than my opponents and I would always follow up shots in the hope of a rebound." Der Bomber's pedigree speaks for itself: 365 goals in 427 league games, 66 in 74 European matches and 68 in 62 for the Nationalmannschaft.
Physical Prowess
Pace and power are the two physical traits a world-class forward possesses. The Ideal Striker is a sprinter. All the great attackers of the past and present with the glaring exception of Ferenc Puskas are usually speed merchants. Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Adriano, Andrei Shevchenko-the list of fast attackers in contemporary football reads like a Who's Who. In the modern game where ponderous defenders are far and few and where space is at a premium, a sudden change of pace can go a long way towards nullifying the ubiquitous tight marking defence and create space when previously there is none.
Strength on the ball is another attribute any top striker possesses. His powerful physique enables him to hold up the ball and shrug off challenges from defenders. Alan Shearer personifies the classic centre forward who is physically exceptional and holds the ball up well. As a teammate describes of him:"His powerful lower body makes it virtually impossible to get the ball of him."In the same vein, we have such powerful frontmen as Didier Drogba, Fernando Morientes and Roy Makaay, among others.
In October 1995, AC Milan'ss George Weah showed the football cosmos how his granite build and blistering pace managed to cut a defence into ribbons. The Rossoneri was playing Hallas Verona. Weah picked up a loose ball in his own half and set off on a mazy run. His sudden acceleration enabled him to evade the first two Verona defenders he encountered. Next he used his imposing physique to shrug off tackles from oncoming Verona players. At times, he seemed to be on the verge of falling as a result of strong challenges from his adversaries but his phenomenal upper body strength and his impeccable balance enabled him to continue his run and score one of the most magnificent goals in the history of The Beautiful Game. More recently, Adriano scored a similar beauty for Internazionale against Udinese. The big Brazilian showed how pace and power are so crucial weapons in the armoury of a striker.
Technique
Technique is an umbrella term that can encompass a number of footballing attributes such as passing, heading, shooting, but it is usually synonymous with ball control. Mastery of the ball is critical to the making of a great striker. He has to have a good first touch which enables him to receive a pass either when on the run or when in a static position. A poor first touch invariably gives the ball away and the offensive move breaks down. When in possession, an attacker who chooses to run with the ball must have excellent close ball control in order for him to carry on with his foray upfield. A player who is not comfortable with the ball at his feet is easily dispossessed and concomitantly the attacking move is halted.
The annals of football are replete with examples of goals, brilliant ones at that, being scored owing to the forwards' superlative technique. In Mexico '86, Diego Maradona showed how his wonderful close control allowed him to negate the England defence comfortably. In the 1988 European Championships Final, we have Marco van Basten taking a volley on the run from an acute angle. In the 2002 Champions League Final, Zinedine Zidane-arguably the greatest technician of modern times-demonstrated surreal technique in volleying in the winning goal with his weaker left foot. And in the Champions League quarter final between Arsenal and Bayern Munich, Thierry Henry's magical touches resulted in a brilliant winner for Arsenal but it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Gunners. This is but a few examples of goals scored by strikers with exceptional ball skills.
A forward can have perfect scores in all of the abovementioned attributes, but if his finishing is substandard, he is unlikely to make it to the pantheon of Great Strikers. The ability to finish is contingent on a number of factors. Of course it helps if the forward constantly works on his finishing during training, but during the course of a high octane game, his composure in front of goal is paramount. This is another abstract quality which is hard to inculcate in an individual. Amongst all the world class attackers today, Ruud van Nistelrooy arguably stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to finishing.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the deadliest of them all?
So who is the best centre forward in the game today? There are five contenders to that accolade. They are Thierry Henry, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, Adriano and Andrei Shevchenko, indeed, all five players rate highly in the qualities discussed in this article.
Many pundits assert that Henry is the best striker around, but this argument overlooks the fact that the Frenchman is weak in the air and lacks the big match temperament. Witness his anonymity in last year's European Championships and in most high profile Champions League matches. Besides that Henry's finishing is found wanting at times. Manchester United diehards would claim their chief attacker Van Nistelrooy is the best of his kind in the world. Again there are flaws in this observation. Van the Man is too one dimensional in his exposition of play. Most of his goals have the trademark of raw strength and power. More subtlety in his overall game would strengthen his claim to being the best forward. Former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo has a strong claim to this honour. That is if we do not take into consideration his appalling work rate and his weakness in the air. Thus Ronaldo is not the complete forward either. 22 year old Adriano seems to have it all, as a matter of fact, many commentators believe as he matures, he has the potential to be a world beater. True, the barrel chested Brazilian is a class act, but he needs to realize that his right leg can be utilized for other means besides standing on.
The pretenders to the crown have hence been eliminated by virtue of their weaknesses, Therefore, the 2004 European Footballer of the Year Andrei Shevchenko is crowned the Best Striker in the World by the writer. The Ukrainian seems to have no shortcomings in his offensive game. He is two footed, strong in the air and on the ground and can score ugly or beautiful goals. His finishing and ball skills are top notch. In essence, he embodies the solution to the football equivalent of the riddle of the Sphinx: how to reconcile the supreme technique and skills of the Continentals with the pace and power of the British game. Sheva has consistently delivered for AC Milan. He has scored well over a hundred goals in the league where the defensive arts are refined to the nth degree-the Serie A-in his five seasons with the Rossoneri. As Sheva recovers from a facial injury, teams facing Milan in the coming weeks in Italy and in Europe would do well to nullify the Ukrainian in his personal quest to make the Rosssoneri hegemon at home and on the Continent again.
