How valuable is a soccer (football) player if they have 5k endurance and can intercept?

Bolt vs. Farah:

https://youtu.be/if32ELhB3lc?t=180

Even though Bolt should be a formidable presence, Farah is able to zone him out near the penalty area.

No matter how fast and fit you are, the idea of truly playing both offense and defense the entire game doesnt work. Soccer balls can be kicked much faster than anybody can run. So if the opposing team just spreads out, you'll be out of position at some point and they can capitalize.

That being said, more endurance without losing any multi-sprint ability is obviously a good thing if it was possible.

Regarding what "type" of runner is best suited for soccer, there is definitely currently a mixture of people that are probably best suited for 400m up to 5k. Most elite soccer players would probably find their best track event in the 800m range.

The only elite soccer players who might find their best event as 100m would probably be a goalie.

The issue is the multiple repeated sprints required. Most true 100m runners struggle with that kind of lactic buffering, theyre more all or nothing.

pond scum wrote:

From a Youtuber I follow, Become Elite (Matt Sheldon), he cites an article where 90% of sprints in soccer are less than 30 meters, and 50% of sprints are less than 10 meters.

Since we are all middle/long distance runners, in your eyes, how valuable would you find a player if he can:

1) mark the attacking midfielder/winger/strikes and chase them down the entire game/put pressure on attacking positions

2) intercept passes and perform slide tackles

3) be able to run up and down the pitch and be a presence in defending and passing

What do you think of a soccer player that should be able to run at least 10-12 miles as opposed to the average 6-7 miles that players run within the 90 minute time span?

What should we do with our endurance?

Why would a player need to run 10-12 miles per game if their opponents are only running 6-7 miles (at most)? Who is this hypothetical player marking?

Any good-to-great defending midfielder or back are able to do exactly what you describe. Ramos, Meunier, Kolarov, Hummels, Chiellini, Kyle Walker, and even Otamendi (if he's stop throwing himself to ground every time the wind blew).

I’m not a football fanatic, but I doubt that Ramos and other defenders similar to his size and strength can run 6-7 miles easily.

I think that those giant defenders have trouble running 6-7 miles.

This hypothetical player would be someone who has a running background in middle distance.

Whenever I see an opposing midfielder or striker charging to the goal, I wonder why no one chases them for the ball. Okay, Hector Bellerin comes to mind, but that’s it.

I think when the opposing team tries for a long ball and punts it to the midfield, they usually have their fastest attacker sprint with the ball and then try for a 1v1 with the goalie.

But what if you had a runner like Nick Symonds or Alberto Juantorena and they were designated to stop successful long balls from getting into the penalty box?

I always see MLS matches and there’s no 1 v 1 speed showdown.

The Soccer Aid clip with Mo Farah was unique because you know what he offers: extreme endurance. If he was marking Bolt like his life depended on it, I am sure that he would make a case that having exceptional endurance is just as good as speed.

For me, Speed is King in soccer. But I think that cultivated endurance in a defender would beat speedy attackers.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "...those giant defenders have trouble running 6-7 miles..."

Do you mean, like at a Turkey Trot 10K? Because they demonstrably do run 6-7 miles in a game.

I think you misunderstand the game (not a dig) and aren't taking the off-sides rule and off-sides traps into account. Long-ball tactics are typically part of an greater philosophy of counter-attacking soccer and there are many ways of defusing the long-ball threat. Defenders are typically their teams' best headers as well as their largest players. Simply getting in the way is enough to allow one's fellow defenders to drop back to assist.

In cases where you do truly have a 1 v keeper situation initiated by a long pass, something has gone terribly wrong on defense. But many times they're still able to recover.

Start at 2:20 and watch the two, following highlights (including Bellirin's).

I'm no expert in soccer, but what you're describing sounds like N'Golo Kanté at the moment. I don't follow him a lot, but every description that I read on forums seems to be that he's running a lot, making tackles, and that he's the best in the world at the defending midfielder position. Won the PL with Leicester City and Chelsea. Won the World Cup. So maybe you can see some highlights of him.

1. Mark and chase down the entire game. From what I understand, soccer is mostly zone defense. Except for maybe set pieces. It's too much energy to mark somebody. Maybe I didn't understand this point well.

Here is one of the first results that I found when I google searched zone vs man to man:

However, there are reasons that every defense you will see in a World Cup is a zone.

In a man to man defense, you are a pawn in the hands of the other team. If they want to clear you out of an area, they can just have the man you are marking make a run somewhere else.

I have seen a U-13 boys travel team master the zone defense in a single fall season, to the point where they never gave up more than 1 goal a game any more.

A subject about which much more could be said, but time does not permit.

The ideal player would be more of a 800/1500 guy as they need to make repeated sprints over the course of a 90 minute match.

pond scum wrote:I always see MLS matches and there’s no 1 v 1 speed showdown.

JahWobble wrote:

they demonstrably do run 6-7 miles in a game.

how "demonstrably?" Who has proven this?

You are making this claim to people who nitpick over every little detail of measuring and certifying a course, and still argue forever about it afterwards. Has someone followed a soccer player around with a steel tape, or even a roller? However they estimated can't possibly be up to running standards. And more than likely it includes the walking they're doing most of the time.

10km in a game is the equivalent of running from one end of the pitch to the other more than 100 times, less than 54 seconds per possession, including do-nothing time like throw-ins and set pieces.

There is also the fact that they never crap their pants, or even get substituted out to take a crap. You don't run 10k without that happening occasionally.

Bad Wigins wrote:

JahWobble wrote:

they demonstrably do run 6-7 miles in a game.

how "demonstrably?" Who has proven this?

You are making this claim to people who nitpick over every little detail of measuring and certifying a course, and still argue forever about it afterwards. Has someone followed a soccer player around with a steel tape, or even a roller? However they estimated can't possibly be up to running standards. And more than likely it includes the walking they're doing most of the time.

10km in a game is the equivalent of running from one end of the pitch to the other more than 100 times, less than 54 seconds per possession, including do-nothing time like throw-ins and set pieces.

There is also the fact that they never crap their pants, or even get substituted out to take a crap. You don't run 10k without that happening occasionally.

Me thinks you deserve a prize for this combination of words.

Well, I can ultimate tell you this. Attacking Players would be the ones with the best endurance. Centerbacks and Holding MFs wouldn't do too well, because constant running is not necessary for them to perform on the pitch. They have to be strong and physical in their area, and they rarely push forward to join the attack.

Fullbacks, Wingbacks, and Wingers would MAKE for quality milers and 5kers. They are the ones who are constantly using their pace to go end to end throughout the entirety of a match. Fullbacks have the responsibility of pushing forward to join the attack, but they still have to track back to play defense. That requires dynamic pace, where aerobic and anaerobic power is needed to shift back and forward down the flanks, so their endurance must be top notch.

Attacking Mids and Strikers would be second in endurance. They mostly use their pace on the counter , when running in open space to attack the opponent's half of the pitch. They are not known for tracking back, and when the team is playing defense, you can see them jogging around a little bit, waiting to get the ball. I think some of them would make decent 800m guys, because they have to hit full speed when countering, and they build up good endurance because of the duration of the game.

pond scum wrote:

I’m not a football fanatic, but I doubt that Ramos and other defenders similar to his size and strength can run 6-7 miles easily.

I think that those giant defenders have trouble running 6-7 miles.

6' 180 lbs is hardly giant. Is he going to set the world ablaze at 10,000m? No, but I have friends that size that do marathons, so I don't think an elite athlete is going to have trouble running 6-7 miles.