In modern football, the role of the center-back has evolved far beyond simply defending. Today’s game demands defenders who can not only protect their goal but also contribute to building attacks. The emergence of dynamic center-backs, excelling in both ball-carrying and progressive passing, has become a defining feature of elite teams. These players are pivotal in transitioning the ball from defense to attack, sometimes even acting as sort of a deep-lying playmaker.
Tactical Benefits for the Team
Dynamic center-backs offer several tactical advantages to their teams:
- Breaking the Opponent’s Press: By carrying the ball past the first line of pressure and/or making a progressive pass, dynamic center-backs help their team bypass high-press situations and gain valuable space.
- Switching Play: A center-back who can switch play with long-range passes can quickly change the direction of an attack, stretching the opposition's defensive lines and creating opportunities.
Translating This into Useful Metrics in MyGamePlan
MyGamePlan can track the impact of dynamic center-backs by using multiple metrics to evaluate their role and success on the field. For example:
- Progressive Passing: We can track the number of successful progressive passes made by center-backs when building up play.
- Dribbling to Break the Press: By tracking ball-carrying actions, we can monitor how often center-backs successfully dribble past opponents/carry the ball to break the high press.
Additionally, video footage helps provide match-specific examples of these actions, showing the effectiveness of dynamic center-backs in real time.
The Modern Center-Back's Role
Defenders play a crucial role in advancing the build-up with a progressive pass. With one pass they can progress the play to the final third, cutting through the opponent’s defence to create a chance.
(P. Vázquez).
This will not only measure if the CB reaches the Final Third with a progressive pass, but also tracks if the action will continue into a shot. Therefore, this tracker essentially measures the efficiency of the progressive pass.
The Ability to Switch Play
Modern ball-playing center-backs are also adept at switching play. These long passes often look as elegant as they are effective, releasing pressure on the defense and initiating forward movement.
For instance, we can see that Deportivo ranks in the top 5 for forward passes following a switch of play. Benchmarking against other teams is one of the many helpful tools MyGamePlan provides, allowing you to analyze key aspects of your tactical approach.
In a game increasingly defined by possession and control, the capabilities of dynamic center-backs make them indispensable for any team aiming to dominate matches.
MyGamePlan is a Belgian startup founded by Berten Knaepen and Dries Deprest, using their expertise from working experience at different clubs. They help clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, KRC Genk and QPR to reach their targets by connecting different data sources into one tool.
