The Unsung Heroes

In a World Cup that has been all about the attacking style of play, the defenders are not getting the credit they deserve.

- Reuben Joe Joseph

Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” This quote by Scottish football manager Alex Ferguson came to be used not only across nations, but also various sports. The legendary Manchester United manager knew, more than anyone else, the value of a good defence. And, in this World Cup, the narrative has been shaped by strong defensive tactics, or the lack of them.

Russia 2018 is the first edition of the World Cup in which Brazil, Germany or Argentina have not reached the semifinals. And, in the cases of all three teams, it was their defences that dominated the discourse around their performances. Positively in Brazil’s case, but not so for the other two. In the three games that Germany played, their defence had opened up way too easily. It is not that the Germans were a poor side. On paper, they were one of the best teams in the tournament. But, it cost them to leave the two centre-backs, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, to do all the work, while the wing-backs played high up the pitch. For Argentina, Javier Mascherano, deployed in midfield, had to lend his support to the side’s weak defence that, nevertheless, played a high line. Mascherano, 34, was their best defensive player, but he, too, succumbed to pressure and made mistakes.

The changing role of the defender in modern football has a lot to do with the formation. During the game’s early days, teams tended to have an all-out attack with one or two players staying back to defend. There were many more goals. Over time, the more pragmatic heads arrived and made the sport much more organised.

It wasn’t as boring as the modern-day system of parking the bus, though. Iceland, Sweden and some other smaller teams parked the bus to get the better of their bigger opponents, but thankfully, the instances were few. There were plenty of clean sheets in the group stages, but most were results of excellent defensive work, rather than negative tactics.