Most difficult 1-on-1 defender in last 25 years

I don't have a definite idea about this, but I thought since we have 'dribbled past per game' data for World Cups from Sofascore, it could add something to post some numbers (albeit only from World Cups, and unfortunately they don't allow ladders to be viewed for this stat, unlike tackles which can also be a relevant stat to look at though, so it requires a search of the players individual page in each case, and some interesting named could be overlooked if we don' think to check them, potentially).

Thuram
Lilian Thuram No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.2 times per game (with 4.2 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 1.3 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 1.1 tackles per game)

Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 3.8 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.2 times per game (with 0.8 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.0 times per game (with 1 tackle per game)

Desailly
Marcel Desailly No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.7 times per game (with 2.4 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 1.3 times per game (with 2 tackles per game)

Fernando Hierro
Fernando Hierro No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1994 (often as midfielder) - beyond 25 years ago: Dribbled past 0.6 times per game (with 2 tackles per game)
1998: Dribbled past 1.3 times per game (with 5.3 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.8 times per game (with 3 tackles per game)

Nesta
Alessandro Nesta No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 1 time per game (with 4.7 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 3 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 1 tackle per game)

Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.2 times per game (with 1.4 tackles per game)

Maldini
Paolo Maldini No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1990: - well beyond 25 years ago, but just for extra info: Dribbled past 0.6 times per game (with 3.1 tackles per game)
1994: - beyond 25 years ago: Dribbled past 0.6 times per game (with 3.7 tackles per game)
1998: Dribbled past 0.6 times per game (with 5.4 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.8 times per game (with 3.5 tackles per game)

Cafu
Cafú No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1994: beyond 25 years ago: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 2 tackles per game)
1998: Dribbled past 0.0 times per game (with 2.5 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.7 times per game (with 3.6 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.8 times per game (with 2.8 tackles per game)

Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 2.4 tackles per game)

Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 1 time per game (with 3.8 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.0 times per game (with 2.7 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.4 times per game (with 2.9 tackles per game)
2010: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 3.7 tackles per game)

Edgar Davids (midfielder)
Edgar Davids No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 1.8 times per game (with 5.7 tackles per game)

Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 4 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 1.3 times per game (with 5.3 tackles per game)

Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos No team videos, transfer history and stats - Sofascore
1998: Dribbled past 0.1 times per game (with 2 tackles per game)
2002: Dribbled past 0.8 times per game (with 3.3 tackles per game)
2006: Dribbled past 0.3 times per game (with 1.3 tackles per game)

That's just kicking things off with some players who were playing in 1998, but more can be searched out obviously. Some players will prefer to block the ball or block off the space to cross/shoot etc rather than tackle, but I thought the tackles numbers would add something too anyway.

My instinct (if considering situations where there is some space behind, not only tight situations in the penalty area for example) is that prime Virgil Van Dijk when in best shape/form would be a contender to consider anyway for sure.

 

why carlos gamarra and "patron" bermudez not in the list???

 

Eboue? Lool

 

Thanks for the stats, PDG1978.

Looking at Cannavaro, seeing his far-inferior 2010 version being dribbled less than his 2006 version, leads me to believe that these dribbled past stats can only tell us so much. If Cannavaro in 2010 was dribbled less, its not because he was a superior one-on-one defender against dribblers, but because he had a adapted a much more conservative style of defending due to his physical limitations. Where 2006 Cannavaro would jump in for tackles, interceptions, place pressure, or just generally be aggressive defensively, 2010 Cannavaro would jockey and hold defensive shape, leading to less one-on-one situations..

Other names to consider I would think:
Koulibaly
Thiago Silva
Puyol
maybe Ramos, Chiellini, and Godin too (though their quality may lie less in one-on-one defending)

 

As ever in the last 25 years, we are seen as merely decoration for the 'real' football countries and the real greats (decoration, fillers and a foil to accentuate the English, Italian, Uruguayan Brazilian etc. ones - one to complete the numbers).

It's between him and Nesta (at his peak). Desailly was sometimes a bit clumsy and could be sent off in big matches (in 1998 he was dismissed in both the Coppa Italia and WC final).

 

Where you getting the "As ever..." part from here?

Anyways, I think VVD and Nesta are probably he right call. Would you say that Nesta in his prime was a more aggressive defender than VVD, or is that just my perception?

 

Could that depend when Nesta's prime was do you think PrimoCalcio? Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd feel like maybe AC Milan version Nesta was perhaps better, but also more considered (less aggressive) than younger Nesta.

 

Going on memory and eye test Alessandro Nesta and Virgil Van Dijk seem like the ones for me. If 1-on-1 includes aerial duels too then VVD edges it.

 

I'm not sure as I've not really watched Nesta's Lazio career. But it seems right that he was probably more aggressive in his youthful, physical peak than afterwards at Milan. But Nesta during the early and mid 2000s was definitely more aggressive than VVD, who is a very calm and considered defender. The way I'm currently thinking about it is that Nesta would maybe get beaten more, but that's because he was often more aggressive in applying pressure and coming out to close down an attacker, whereas VVD is probably beaten slightly less but also doesn't involve himself in as many situations where he could be beaten. I'm not trying to say one style is better than the other - they both have their positives and negatives. I'm more just thinking along the lines that "dribbled past" stats aren't always a dead give away of who is a superior 1-on-1 defender or not.

 

Yeah, I guess it makes sense that Nesta would be the more proactive in certain situations where he'd want to prevent a player getting full control of the ball and running at him for example, while Van Dijk at his best hangs back more with the expectation the player won't be able to run past him with the ball....(while Nesta was probably a bit better at making the early tackles too I'm thinking, although would sometimes refrain from early challenges I think, moreso in his Milan time than Lazio time I reckon - but on the point of 'aggressive' it can also be we use the word a bit differently in England and Italy and what I was hinting at before was probably that Nesta was more rough/less clean as a defender while at Lazio in the 90s).

 

Since I don't consider aerial duels, it would be VVD and Thuram for me.

 

If Maldini doesn't count, I think the two best performances at a major tournament were Thuram (wc 98) and Nesta (euro 2000).

In terms of career, cannavaro is ahead because he won a Ballon d'Or

The most underrated defender for me was Juan (Brazil NT 2006-10). He deserved a better career. He got hurt too much.

In 1v1 it's very much a question of the opponent's style. Smaller defenders (canavaro, gamarra etc) tend to be more agile to catch dribblers. Taller defenders play better in body against strong forwards, not just center forwards, but players who use physical strength (suarez, tevez etc). At that level it's very similar.

 

Thuram in his full-back incarnation is possible. When Thuram became a regular center back he was older to be fair.

For a full-back it is very well possible and likely an inch better as the default (and peer pressure) shout Maldini, in comparable set-ups and comparable tactics. The evidence is in his favor, I think. The title of the thread doesn't say "central defender". In short: I agree with this call.

VvD at his best was over a period of time dominant both at the front foot and back foot (imho). High and low on the pitch. Same for when he had to be pro-active for Southampton (with the stats to back it up).

Nesta was in general not as impregnable when he was at Milan; he really looked silly vs Quinton Fortune and Manchester United in 2005. Was maybe not 100% fit, as was regularly the case.

The best defenders aren’t necessarily the best one vs one defenders (nor is it necessary). I really appreciated someone like Chivu but wouldn't say he was the best one vs one.

P.S. I see Liverpool is really a disaster now. Without VvD they struggle to win any points...

 

Carlos gamarra plays for 3 Brazilian clubs and yout best time here was in internacional and Corinthians
In 1995 internacional sign with gamarra after copa América 1995 when he was the best defender
Gamarra almost plays for São Paulo FC in 1993/1994. Sao Paulo plays the 1993 copa libertadores semifinal with cerro porteno(gamarra team) and Paulo Cesar carpegianni was the dt(Paraguay 1998 coach and flamengo player and coach in 1981)
Sao Paulo refuse him because your height.
Internacional bought gamarra in 1995 and in this video Don Elias Figueiroa watching the first gamarra practice in your New club

 

In a internacional x flamengo 1996 match Romário cant find the ball the entire match because gamarra have a wonderful performance

 

I would go with young Fabio Cannavaro in his Parma days.

Carles Puyol at any point before he was 30 years old, was very dominant in 1-on-1 situations; probably the most spectacular tackler of all time.

Virgil Van Dijk in his prime was a more careful type of defender, and as such, I would never think of VVD in a discussion about the best 1-on-1 defenders.

EDIT:

And furthermore, and I say this without an agenda... but... you know... Carles Puyol played against great technical dribblers like Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, etc. If you play as many games as Puyol played against Zidane, you are almost inevitably going to get dribbled past several times in your career.

When I think of Virgil van Dijk --- with all due respect --- he played in an era with less technical dribblers; for example, the best dribbler of the Premier League was for several consecutive years Mohamed Salah (who plays in the same team as VVD), and outside of Salah, I really struggle to think of a legitimately great dribbler at the time. Eden Hazard was a great dribbler, but then again, how many games did VVD played against a prime form Hazard??

At any rate, no bad faith agenda here... I just honestly do not think we are talking about the same caliber of dribbling talents when we compare one specific era against other eras of football.

 

I think Puyol has been underrated by the modern generation. They’ve never watched him play during his prime.

 

Puyol is a good shout. I remember his battle against Henry in 2006 well. He wasn't someone who would outright win the ball back but was immaculate at disrupting dribbles by knocking the ball of the path or just getting his leg get in the way.

RE: VVD Tbf, he would've played against Hazard roughly around 2 games a year while the latter was at Chelsea. Since moving to Liverpool, he's had more chances to play against some other very good dribbles as well, including Messi. His time playing for Netherlands NT have also seen him play against players like Mbappe. He has been generally excellent.

 

The stats are simply in his favor here. But because he has the wrong nationality he is on a handicap (and if someone becomes too good, we just injure him).

The only real possibility among CBs is Nesta, when statistics and evidence wasn't so common yet. Except for the tournaments, when he was maybe not at his very best (maybe 2000, but that one doesn't really stand out; both France and Netherlands created a ton of chances (and Xg) against a very defensive minded Italian team). Italy their defensive effort in football is of course better as in the real world

 

A large part of Puyol his peak was when Barcelona (or Spain) wasn't at their best so I agree he might be overlooked a bit. Not so sure though whether he was markedly (noticeably) better as his contemporaries in one vs one situations.

 

yep
puyol
this guy below??



jesus christ ow my god
my age do not gave me permission to these things.lol
koeman ;alexanko and migueli 100 % superior than puyol in barcelona as football player
the fact puyol had 300 ucl trophies dont make him a name as maldini for example