The Anatomy of a Football Player

If aliens came to our planet and wanted to collect the perfect specimens, they’d beam up footballers first. After all, the sport of football demands only the best sportsmen and sculptures only the best of humankind. But what makes a footballer so outstanding? Our fictional footballers will demonstrate.

Technique

The technique is what defines and distinguishes an experienced football player from an amateur one. A football player understands, and masters, the three main areas that makeup football technique.

• Ball Control - A football player is able to receive passes that come his way whether they’re on the ground or in the air, and he does so with clean first touches. Upon, receiving he’s able to keep the ball close to his body and maintain possession by protecting from his opponents. A football player is also able to make quick, sharp turns with the ball at will.
• Passing Accuracy - Not only is a footballer able to receive passes well, he’s also able to use both his feet and to send the ball to a target location of his choice. He can employ power and possession to send the ball straight to a teammate’s feet, he can accurately send a through a pass into space with proper weight, and, if he’s a striker, he can shoot the ball accurately and powerfully into the back of the net.
• Dribbling - A football player can move across the pitch with full control of the ball. He can even manipulate the direction and speed of the ball using both his feet.

Game Intelligence

A football player makes smart decisions within split seconds and does her best to reduce her energy expenditure throughout the game. Basically, she plays smart, not hard using three different skill sets.

• Risk Assessment - A footballer effectively assesses the risk and reward of her decisions before every move, just like an experienced gambler at Omnia Online Casino UK. She doesn’t play so aggressively that she loses the possession of the ball and forces her team to expend extra energy to regain control. However, she also doesn’t focus so much on conserving energy that her team isn’t able to score any goals.
• Spatial Awareness - A footballer almost has a sixth sense that makes them aware of their immediate space, tells them where their teammates are and where they should be, and take advantage of the geometry of the game to make wide angles and easy passing opportunities.
• Tactical Knowledge - A football player complements her spatial awareness with tactical knowledge to anticipate opportunities that might arise in the future. She not only waits for the right attacking moment but creates it.

Physical Fitness

A football player runs an average of 11 km per match if he’s playing as a midfielder. As a winger, he can run up to 150 sprints of at least 75% of his full speed in every single match. A footballer achieves this by combining four key elements:

• Endurance - A footballer maintains his physical and mental strength for more than 90 minutes despite fatigue, stress, and other adverse conditions.
• Speed - A footballer maintains converts his speed in short distances and close quarters into agility. Over longer distances, he uses the same speed to beat his opponents to the ball and leave them in the dust in long runs down the sidelines.
• Balance and Coordination - A football player uses his superb balance and coordination to move quickly in small spaces despite having one foot on the ball.
• Strength and Power - A footballer is able to make long passes, steal balls from their opponents, win balls out of the air, and shoot accurately. He does so making his strength and power an essential part of his agility.

Proper Mindset

A football player learns to be passionate about her sport while maintaining composure and demonstrating resilience during hard times. Four core traits help her do this:

• Passion - A footballer is what she is mainly because of her passion for the sport. Her passion pulls her through gruelling hours of practice and strain on the field.
• Coachability - A football player is always willing to learn from her coach. She seeks out, accepts, and integrates feedback and shows the ability to self-correct and try new things to get better results.
• Composure - A footballer loves to win but maintains her composure when things don’t quite go in her favour. She performs well under pressure, accepts defeat, and perseveres despite rejection.

That’s what makes a footballer. A ladle of technique, spoonfuls of game intelligence and physical fitness, and a pinch of proper mindset. Do you have what it takes?