Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. With his blistering speed and impeccable defensive positioning, he is a nightmare for opposing forwards.
You might know van Dijk for his remarkable Premier League career. Since 2015, he has been a regular member of the Liverpool team, and has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top defensive players. Earlier this year, the Netherlands international won his first major international trophy, the Champions League.
Why Is Virgil Van Dijk Football Different?
The answer couldn’t be more obvious: The game is faster, deeper, and stronger than ever before. Technology, coaching, and tactics have all improved, and football, as a whole, is played at a higher tempo than ever before.
These changes have all converged to make football more physical than ever before. That’s not to say that there aren’t any skilled practitioners of the beautiful game; there are just more talented and physically-capable attackers than ever before.
Van Dijk is a prime example of the wave of new, agile talent that has flooded the sport. The 26-year-old isn’t your average footballer; he plays with a swagger and confidence that belies his youth. He is a force of nature on the pitch, and a joy to watch.
Here’s a closer look at how the game has changed, and why you should care.
Increased Agility And Speed
Let’s be honest, when you’re 5’8″ and weigh barely 110 pounds, staying agile is pretty important. Thankfully, van Dijk seems to have gotten the memo, and manages to remain one of the sport’s premier athletes, despite his advancing years.
In 2015, he became the third-fastest player to 100 pro appearances, only behind Lloris and VDB.
Since then he has settled into a routine of regular runs and training sessions with Liverpool’s strength and conditioning coach, Don McEvoy. The results of their partnership have been spectacular; van Dijk’ agility, speed, and endurance were all highlighted by the English clubs he played for in the past. Whether sprinting down the wing or zigzagging through the defense, van Dijk’ movement is as impressive as ever. By the way, if you are betting on sports and want to get a bonus code, go to https://odds2win.bet/bonuses/pakistan/betwinner and collect your bonuses.
Wondering how a player of van Dijk’ caliber stays so agile? It’s all thanks to his meticulously honed agility trainer. The device allows van Dijk to set custom repetition sets and loads, as well as monitor his performance, all with the push of a button. While traditional agility drills focus on increasing overall speed and stamina, the device helps van Dijk execute his trademark quick cuts, jogs, and stops-and-starts, all with ease.
Getting Defensive Is Now The Key
Speaking of speed, it’s fair to say that the world class skills of a defensive midfielder like van Dijk aren’t exactly easy to replace. The Dutchman’s ability to constantly survey the pitch and cut off passing lanes is unmatched, making him a true defensive midfield specialist. It’s not just about him stopping attacks, either — he often gets involved in the action himself, winning tackles and intercepting passes. When opposing teams have a target man, they usually try to go heavy on the attack, leaving the rest of the team vulnerable.
With the rise of Big Data and analytics, football has become a lot more objective and scientific. Teams now have access to detailed information about the opposing teams’ play, and strategies are evolving to take advantage of this enhanced knowledge.
When teams have possession of the ball, they’re looking to move quickly and efficiently towards their opponents’ goal. If a team’s defense and midfield are compact and well-organized, they have a better chance of slowing the pace of the game and buying some time to regroup. Defensive midfielders like van Dijk are vital in orchestrating these tactics from the back.
The Importance Of The Free Kick
We’ve talked about how important it is to stay organized in the back, but what about going forward? How important is it to attack your opponent?
The short answer is: very!
Ever wonder why the free kick is an important part of football? It’s likely you’ve been in situations before where teams have had the ball for long periods and haven’t been able to build up much pressure. In those situations, the opposition gets a free kick, which they usually put into practice with a direct, long-range shot at goal.
These situations usually arise because teams aren’t using their feet effectively. A lot of long, low passes are being played, which are easy for the opposition to tackle. By taking a shot at goal, the team is giving the ball a better chance of going in. While low-percentage, direct free kicks aren’t necessarily a bad thing, playing it safe hasn’t proven to be effective in the modern game.
Why Is Goal-Scoring On The Rise?
If the last couple of years have been a bit of a downer for goal-scoring in professional football, this year looks quite promising! So far, so good though – Virgil van Dijk has played only two seasons of professional soccer and already has 10 first-team appearances to his name.
Since the start of the season, nearly 40% of the shots taken in NFL games have been on goal! This is an increase of nearly 10% compared to last year, and it shows no signs of slowing down. This is great news for fans of goal-scoring, as well as the footballers and goalkeepers who are contributing to these phenomenal rates of success.
The spread of smart phone and tablet technology has made it much easier for fans to keep track of scores and results in real-time, too. With games usually taking two or three hours to complete, it’s easy for fans (and other people who are keeping track on papers!) to get bored during the waiting periods.
Even outside of professional play, teams are scoring more often and for more goals than ever before. The 2019 Women’s World Cup was a standout event in terms of goal scoring; it saw 16 goals in a single game, a record for the tournament.
However, while the spread of technology has made it easier for fans to keep track of scores, it hasn’t made it any less important for players to stay focused and well-organized. Goals are coming from everywhere, and it can be hard to keep track of who is scoring and how.
That’s why it’s essential for players to prepare thorough pre-game strategies and drills. By working together and using their individual strengths, teams can have a greater chance of scoring more goals and winning the game.
