Of the many cogs that make the wheels turn in the beautiful game, the art of passing can sometimes go overlooked. Players like Andrea Pirlo or Paul Scholes could land the ball on the penalty spot from the halfway line or modern-day players like Trent Alexander-Arnold epitomizes what it means to be an elite-level passer in the modern age.
The science of a perfect pass can mean different things depending on the type of player you ask. A player like Guti for Real Madrid perfected the art of misdirection, sending defenders the wrong way and slipping the ball through gaps that nobody else in the stadium could see.
However, an equally elite player like Roy Keane was the master of the simple pass, playing it forward, the obvious ball that would keep the attack going and move the team forward—all of it depends on what type of football you enjoy and what your idea of the perfect pass is.
The Importance Of A World Class Passer
A team with a player in the middle of the pitch who can read the game to an elite standard and execute world-class passing already has a vital piece of the puzzle. You only need to look at the impact of Luka Modric at Real Madrid or Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City to see just how vital it is to the team’s overall cohesion.
Such is the impact of these players that if they’re out through injury or suspension, it can impact the sportsbooks going into a key game. Football fans who bet on games will often weigh up whether a team is missing its main midfielder or that attacking player with the keys to unlocking the opposition’s defense with their perfect passing. Betting opportunities arise when those who understand the game and the importance of critical players factor it into the potential outcome.
While it’s not an exact science, and teams can still win big games without their top talents, it becomes a lot more challenging when those players who keep everything ticking are notably absent from the starting eleven.
Understanding The Importance Of The Team
To put it as simply as possible – the science behind a perfect passer is a player who consistently positively impacts the game through their passing ability. This is a fluid definition, as we touched on in our introduction, but footballing intelligence is another vital factor.
Look at the relationship between Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Gerrard is rightly regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, almost single-handedly winning Liverpool the UEFA Champions League in 2005. Although he could score at big moments when it counted, his passing was also one of his greatest assets. Some of the assists he provided for some of the best strikers at Liverpool during his time there, including Torres and Luis Suarez, drill home this point perfectly.
A perfect pass in this situation involves understanding and reading where a player is going; players of lesser quality than Suarez and Torres might not be able to get on the end of a perfectly weighted ball.
The science of it doesn’t just rely on the speed and weight of the ball; it also requires the player who is playing the pass to understand the speed and intelligence of the player on the receiving end. Ultimately, this ensures that the result is a clear attacking opportunity or a moment that ideally ends in a goal.
Although all of the headlines around Victor Osimhen and his surprise loan move to Galatasaray have hit global footballing news headlines, and the Nigerian has incredible attacking prowess, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s passing and vision was a big reason why Osimhen got so many chances and scored so many goals.
Perfecting The Basics
Great passers don’t just win games on their own. For instance, Paul Scholes had the nickname “Sat Nav,” as he could find his teammates from anywhere on the pitch and control the speed and direction of the game. Often, from central midfield, the perfect pass is all about keeping possession, not putting your teammates in danger, and furthering the attack.
Luka Modric is another example of this, keeping the game ticking along, dictating the tempo, and doing so by playing the right passes to the right players; it’s not all about playing 70-yard passes or backheeling a ball through a corridor of four defenders. While this might look good on a highlight reel, many professionals have said the art of perfect passing is to keep it simple, keep possession, and generate momentum for the team.
Final Thoughts
Football has so many factors; a perfect pass in the number 10 role often has to split defenses and result in a goal. A perfect pass from a central defensive position keeps the team out of trouble or keeps it simple, with the team retaining possession.
It can also depend on the team and budget. A perfect pass in Pep Guardiola’s team could be Ederson picking out a left-winger from 60 yards. In a Sean Dyche team, it could be a route one ball that gets flicked on and puts a striker through on goal. The main constant of the perfect pass is one that ultimately benefits the team and causes them to come out victorious. Within that simple definition, there are many different caveats that managers need to get right.
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