The most demanding position in soccer is a box-to-box midfielder. They need to weave through their opponents, dash toward safety and keep control of the ball. Do it right, and it seems like a dance, do it wrong and you’re just running up and down the pitch.
So who are the dancers that make soccer feel magical, which players do we watch out for in the sports betting odds? Time to take a look.
Roy Keane
Keane is often remembered for his rough and often questionable tackles, but today we want to focus on his underrated ability to attack.
In his career, Keane scored 87 goals in just 17 years. Keane was more than just a defensive player, he had his eyes on the ball the whole time.
Keane was a little bit of everything, stopping his opponents from keeping the ball and becoming a daring attacker when he stole it.
Patrick Vieira
Keane would often be teamed up against Vieira, in fact, they were often dubbed the “invincibles” during their 2003 and 2004 season. So when Arsenal and Man United were playing together, you’d know Vieira and Keane would have a battle you couldn’t miss.
Vieria was as elegant as a dancer in his heyday. Not a ferocious player, but an evasive one. Weaving away from his opponents to the point where pinning him down was the only real option.
Sócrates
Sócrates was the biggest name in soccer in the mid-80s. The Brazilian midfielder was the brains and the power of his team, and although he started out as a striker, Sócrates could control the team better in his midfield role.
He could travel the pitch with ridiculous speed and ended his career with 236 goals!
Sócrates was adored by his fans and often called himself the “anti-athlete” as he refused to cut down on drinking or smoking while his teammates counted every calorie.
Johan Neeskens
Neeskens was the most tireless player to ever grace the Barcelona pitch. He was the central midfielder any team could have dreamed of. He didn’t grab the headlines often, as he was constantly overshadowed by striker Johan Cruyff, but without the legwork that Neesken put into the team, Barcelona wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Steven Gerrard
One statement that was often said about Steven Gerrad, was his ability to cover “every blade of grass”. Gerrard played for 17 years in Liverpool, and in that time he was named the England captain and was just 23 years old.
This was because Gerrard had the speed and control of a powerhouse, and was recognized as the catalyst for every goal and rise in his team.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Schweinsteiger originally wanted to play as a winger, but he was quickly moved into the midfielder position when it was clear he had too much power and speed to be anywhere else.
The decision ended up being the right one. He could carry the ball from one goal to the next and had complete control over the speed and direction of his sprint. An unexpected turn or change in pace was all Schweinsteiger needed to create open spaces.
Clarence Seedorf
Seedorf was a star from the start. He first played in the Ajax academy as a youngster and learned how to perfect the technical moves he would later use to dominate the field. As a child, he had the raw strength to run for long distances and keep his position on the ball, but through the Ajax academy, he learned how to watch out for the changes in the teams too.
This level of effort was noted straight away, and when he reached a professional status, the world saw the man’s unending work ethic.
Lothar Matthäus
Matthaus was an allround soccer player. In his time he made 150 appearances for his country and scored 23 goals. This German superstar could tackle the greats, was a force on the field, and made the goalkeepers sweat.
Bryan Robson
Robson is known as one of the toughest midfielders of all time. He would tackle anyone and everyone, making sure no one would ever reach the goal. But his aggression didn’t stop there. If the ball was by his feet and the goal was in sight, Robson would take his shot.
It was rare if Robson didn’t reach double figures in a season. While playing for England, Robson boasted 26 goals from his 90 games.
Ruud Gullit
It’s very rare for Milan to make a scene on the international stage, but with Gullit on their side, they were an unexpected powerhouse. His balance, and grace man the player a delicate dancer on the field. To bring him down you’d have to tackle him, a feat that very few players could claim.
Summary
Each of these players were kings in their time. Their opponents would watch and wait hoping to take down the midfielders, and yet very few could catch up to their amazing talents.
