It's a team game

Joga Bonito. The beautiful game. It brings us all together. It shows us the importance of working as a unit, how to compete within a collective, it is the ultimate team game…or is it?

At what point does football become a team sport?

In my opinion football is less of a team sport then many believe, especially at youth level. As a young aspiring player you cannot play the game based solely on fitting in to a team. Understanding how to operate as part of a team is essential, but without outstanding individual technical ability you can all but kiss goodbye to your dreams.

As a young player your game is about you. You need to improve your dribbling and passing techniques, you need to learn the roles and responsibilities of each position, you need to develop the tactical understanding needed to operate in a number of formations; in essence you need to progress to a level of dynamism that exceeds your teammates if you want to be noticed, and you need to continue to grow and shine in order become a professional footballer. However part of this process is to develop the intelligence and understanding of when to release the ball, to identify when a teammate is in a better position, that as creative and attack minded as you may be you still need to work on your defensive qualities. When the opportunity to become a professional has bypassed you, then the game is more – but not exclusively – about the team.

But what about the professional game?

Many times I have heard the phrase “the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and it is something I agree with, but it helps when all of the parts are of such an exceptional ability that the weakest link is stronger than the opponent’s best player. Even in the greatest teams there is a stand out player, and when things are not going well this is who the rest of the team look at for inspiration and a match winning moment. Often you see players neglect certain responsibilities because they are aware that another member in the team will pick up the slack.

Maradona widely receives plaudit for “single handedly” winning Argentina the 1986 World Cup; he also brought a failing Napoli two Scudettos, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup and one Supercoppa Italiana. Where are his teammates in the recognition of success?

Players’ that can bring championships alone are few and far between, Barcelona would often drop points without the consistent and undervalued Victor Valdes, Makelele’s defensive grit and ball winning was essential in Chelsea’s success under Mourinho; even the greatest players need support from the rest of the squad.  Football is the ultimate team game, but maybe it is more important to learn how to operate in a team than as a team.